The three astronauts - who Boeing hopes to send into space next year - were all present at the test at Launch Complex 32 at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
The test is created to verify that each of Starliner's systems will function not only separately but also together, to protect astronauts by carrying them safely away from the launch pad in the unlikely event of an emergency prior to liftoff. The exciting thing about Aerodyne's innovation for the crew vehicle's launch abort system is that it allows for a safe abort at any time during the mission, which has never before been possible with crew vehicles.
Starliner will travel around one mile above the test site and about one mile north of the stand featured in the image above, according to the space agency.
NASA in a press release called the test "acceptable" and echoed what Boeing said in its statement.
A pitcharound maneuver rotated the spacecraft into position for landing, and two of three of Starliner's main parachutes deployed just under half a minute into the test, and the service module separated from the crew module a few seconds later. Aerojet Rocketdyne provides propulsion and pressure vessel tanks on every phase of the Starliner mission from launch to reentry.
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The service and crew modules separated after nearly 34 seconds and the crew capsule descended slowly to a safe landing under the parachutes, jettisoning the base heat shield and deploying airbags before landing. "A livestream of the Starliner Pad Abort Test is something we've been considering and planning for and are fully prepared to support at the request of our customer", Boeing's Rebecca Regan told Ars.
Since the end of the US Space Shuttle program in 2011 only the Russians with their Soyuz system have had the capacity to travel from the Earth to the ISS. Boeing then worked on recovering the capsule and analyzed data from the test.
SpaceX also is building an astronaut ferry ship, known as the Crew Dragon, that also is in the final stages of preparation for piloted flights to the space station.
Parachute deployment has been among the top technical challenges both companies have faced that have raised questions over crew safety and pressured launch schedules. The capsule, launched from a test stand, accelerated about 650 miles per hour (1,000 kmp/h) in five seconds flat. "It's a great launch vehicle, great spacecraft but it's time to have more options", he said.
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