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The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket that will launch
the first astronaut crew aboard the Boeing Starliner commercial crew vehicle to
the ISS later this year has arrived at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station after rolling
off the Delta Mariner cargo ship on June 5, 2019. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION/PORT CANAVERAL, FL – The 1st United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket that will voyage to space with humans with the 1st crew of NASA astronauts on the 1st Boeing Starliner commercial crew capsule later this year has arrived at the Cape Canaveral launch site after a voyage by sea from Alabama.
The 10 story tall copper colored Atlas V first stage was offloaded from the ULA Delta Mariner cargo ship around 10 a.m. EDT this morning Wednesday June 5 as the media including Space UpClose witnessed first hand.
The milestone mission dubbed the Crew Flight Test or CFT could blast off for destination International Space Station (ISS) with three astronauts as soon as November 2019 as part NASA’s Commercial Crew Program to resume human spaceflight launches from American soil on American rockets in an American capsule.
Both stages of the ULA Atlas V rocket designated AV-082 and comprising the first stage and the Dual Engine Centaur (DEC) upper stage sailed to Port Canaveral June 1 aboard the Delta Mariner cargo ship after departing from the ULA manufacturing facility in Decatur, Alabama.
Enjoy our eyewitness Space UpClose photo gallery of the Atlas V rocket arrival and roll off from the Delta Mariner on a carrier cradle pulled by a truck.
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The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket that will launch
the first astronaut crew aboard the Boeing Starliner commercial crew vehicle to
the ISS later this year has arrived at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station after rolling
off the Delta Mariner cargo ship on June 5, 2019. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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The base of the Atlas V first stage was covered in a heavy
duty protective tarp to shield the dual Russian made RD-180 engines (that propel
it to space) in secrecy from our cameras - and also more importantly to shield them
from debris like kicked up stones and grass that could clog or damage the engines and
plumbing and cause catastrophic failures from FOD or Foreign Object Debris.
The ULA Atlas V will blastoff from Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL.
The first Boeing Starliner to launch will be uncrewed with no astronauts aboard on the Orbital Flight Test (OFT) mission - set for as soon as around August 17.
OFT will serve as a full dress rehearsal test flight to the ISS and back.
The crew trio on the CFT mission will comprise Boeing astronaut and former NASA astronaut Chris Ferguson and NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Nicole Mann who will fully demonstrate Starliner and Atlas V’s ability to safely carry crew to and from the orbiting laboratory.
Under
contracts with NASA, both Boeing and SpaceX are competing to be the first
private company to launch the 1st Americans to low Earth orbit in
nearly eight years since NASA’s space shuttle orbiters were forcibly retired
back in 2011.
SpaceX is also developing the Crew Dragon to ferry NASA astronauts
to and from the ISS.
"As commercial crew providers, Boeing and SpaceX, begin to make regular flights to the space station, NASA will continue to advance its mission to go beyond low-Earth orbit and establish a human presence on the Moon with the ultimate goal of sending astronauts to Mars, says NASA.
Boeing engineers recently completed a lengthy series of hot fire tests on the propulsion system of Starliner crew test article involving the vehicle’s in-space maneuvering system as well as the critical launch abort system that will help pave the way to the first test flight with astronauts in support of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Read our prior story.
Watch my commentary at ABC and Fox local TV News Orlando about the Atlas V arrival and offloading and the future of astronauts rising to space aboard Boeing Starliner crew capsule at these stories from June 5 here:
Watch for Ken’s continuing
onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman
and more space and mission reports direct from the Kennedy Space Center, Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida and Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia.
Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer – email: ken at kenkremer.com
Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the KSC area, active in outreach and interviewed regularly on TV and radio about space topics.
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Base of ULA Atlas V 1st
stage housing twin RD-180 engines is covered by protective tarp as it rolls towards
Cape Canaveral launch site on June 5, 2019 after departing Delta Mariner cargo
ship. This booster will launch the first astronauts to fly to space aboard the Boeing
Starliner later this year. Credit:
Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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The
Delta Mariner departed Decatur on May 23 “for the
journey that spanned rivers, the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean to reach
Port Canaveral for berthing at the unloading wharf,” said ULA.
The huge ship arrived at the mouth of Port Canaveral at dawn Saturday
June 1 and sailed past Jetty Park Pier around 7 a.m. See our photos in port.
The
Dual Engine Centaur was offloaded first on Monday on a carrier cradle.
After Wednesday’s 1st stage off loading from the Delta Mariner it passed through the security gates of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and was transported to the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center (ASOC) for processing at ULA launch site at Space Launch Complex-41 (SLC-41). See our photos.
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The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket that will launch
the first astronaut crew aboard the Boeing Starliner commercial crew vehicle to
the ISS later this year has arrived at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station after rolling
off the Delta Mariner cargo ship on June 5, 2019. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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The ULA Delta Mariner arrived
with the first Atlas V to launch humans on a Boeing Starliner (center) that was
offloaded June 5, 2019 as well as a Delta IV common core booster for a future
Delta IV Heavy launch. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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The ULA Delta Mariner arrived
with the first Atlas V to launch humans on a Boeing Starliner (center) that was
offloaded June 5, 2019 as well as a Delta IV common core booster for a future
Delta IV Heavy launch. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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After Wednesday’s 1st stage off loading from the Delta Mariner it passed through the security gates of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and was transported to the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center (ASOC) for processing at ULA launch site at Space Launch Complex-41 (SLC-41). See our photos.
“Now at the launch site, the Atlas V will undergo receiving
checks and await the start of operations for its mission to send three
astronauts to the station on the Crew Test Flight (CFT) of Starliner,” ULA said
in a blog post.
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ULA Atlas V 1st stage rolled past palm trees towards Cape Canaveral launch site on June 5,
2019 after departing Delta Mariner cargo ship. This booster will launch the first
astronauts to fly to space aboard the Boeing Starliner later this year. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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The ULA Atlas V will blastoff from Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL.
The first Boeing Starliner to launch will be uncrewed with no astronauts aboard on the Orbital Flight Test (OFT) mission - set for as soon as around August 17.
OFT will serve as a full dress rehearsal test flight to the ISS and back.
The crew trio on the CFT mission will comprise Boeing astronaut and former NASA astronaut Chris Ferguson and NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Nicole Mann who will fully demonstrate Starliner and Atlas V’s ability to safely carry crew to and from the orbiting laboratory.
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Overhead view of the ULA Delta Mariner after arrival into
Port Canaveral, FL on June 1, 2019 carrying the Atlas V rocket that will launch
the first astronaut crew aboard the Boeing Starliner commercial crew vehicle. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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Artists concept of Boeing Starliner commercial crew vehicle
arriving at the International Space Station. Credit: Boeing/NASA
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"As commercial crew providers, Boeing and SpaceX, begin to make regular flights to the space station, NASA will continue to advance its mission to go beyond low-Earth orbit and establish a human presence on the Moon with the ultimate goal of sending astronauts to Mars, says NASA.
Boeing engineers recently completed a lengthy series of hot fire tests on the propulsion system of Starliner crew test article involving the vehicle’s in-space maneuvering system as well as the critical launch abort system that will help pave the way to the first test flight with astronauts in support of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Read our prior story.
Watch my commentary at ABC and Fox local TV News Orlando about the Atlas V arrival and offloading and the future of astronauts rising to space aboard Boeing Starliner crew capsule at these stories from June 5 here:
Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer – email: ken at kenkremer.com
Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the KSC area, active in outreach and interviewed regularly on TV and radio about space topics.
………….
Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events
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ULA Delta Mariner arrives into Port Canaveral, FL on June
1, 2019 carrying the Atlas V rocket that will launch the first astronaut crew
aboard the Boeing Starliner commercial crew vehicle. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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