Boeing performs 'satisfactory' test of Starliner crewed capsule abort system

One of the main planks of the US's attempt to restore crewed spaceflight launch capability has hit a small snag, with the failure of one system in a test of the launchpad abort capability of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner capsule. Although the test spacecraft lifted off successfully from its launchpad, one of its three parachutes did not deploy to bring the capsule to a landing.

Boeing and NASA count the test as a success, as two parachutes are sufficient for a landing in which all of the crew would survive. Launchpad aborts, although rare, do occur and many systems have to work in an integrated fashion. In the test, carried out on 4 November at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, the only failure was the single parachute deployment.

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In an abort situation, the capsule, with its service module attached, must be able to launch itself from the top of the Atlas 5 launcher which would normally be used on Starliner missions, using thrusters integrated into the capsule itself. It would then fire orbital manoeuvring and attitude control (OMAC) thrusters to move it to a safe distance from the launchpad, jettison the service module, deploy parachutes and float down to a safe landing.