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Launch Success
Liftoff Time (GMT)
11:36:43
Friday December 20, 2019
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First flight of Atlas V N22. First flight of Atlas V with a dual engines Centaur upper stage. Following a successful launch, Starliner had off-nominal performance, but the rocket did its job correctly.
The Starliner OFT (Orbital Flight Test) is the uncrewed maiden test launch of Boeing's crew capsule Starliner. It was planned to simulate a crewed mission with everything except the crew, including rendezvous and docking with the ISS and about a 2-week stay, then reentry and airbag-cushioned landing in the western US. However, several issues related to an incorrectly synced count down led to the spacecraft not preforming a mission critical orbital insertion burn, among other things. It was then decided to bring Starliner back to Earth, where it landed at White Sands Missile Range 2 days later. A second OFT will be launched to verify Starliner is ready for human flight.
Low Earth Orbit
1 Payload
13,000 kilograms
Agency
ULARocket
Diameter: 3.81m
Height: 62.2m
Payload to Orbit
LEO: 13,000 kg
Liftoff Thrust
7,152 Kilonewtons
Stages
2
Strap-ons
2
81st
Mission
2nd
Mission of 2019
136th
Mission
5th
Mission of 2019
99th
Orbital launch attempt