In recent years, the Shenzhou spacecraft has carried the important task of mainland astronauts to and from China's space station, which has attracted the attention of the Chinese people. However, in recent years, manned spacecraft in Western countries have often had frequent accidents.
It is reported that the latest delay from Boeing's Starliner, after the project was delayed for years due to problems with the space capsule. It will be launched on an Atlas V rocket, which will send astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams to the International Space Station.
However, two hours before the launch, Boeing canceled its first astronaut launch mission at the last minute after discovering a valve problem with the Atlas V rocket. According to insiders, "it may be due to the fact that the oxygen pressure relief valve of the rocket's upper stage began to open and close, creating a loud buzzing sound." ”
It is reported that the postponement is the latest delay in Boeing's first crew flight, which has been put on hold for years due to a malfunction in the space capsule. Many netizens have said that "this technology is not as good as China's Shenzhou spacecraft", "the United States still wants to quickly achieve a manned landing on the moon, and now it is difficult to get manned into space" and so on.
What exactly is ULA's Atlas Rocket?
ULA's Atlas rocket, also known as the Optimus launch vehicle or the Cosmos series launch vehicle, is a launch vehicle developed by the United States.
It is understood that the ULA series is developed on the basis of the Cosmos ICBM and has a variety of models, including Atlas-2, Atlas-3 (also known as the Cosmos III launch vehicle) and Atlas-5 (also known as the Cosmos V launch vehicle or Atlas V) and so on.
Atlas-2 launch vehicle: Uses a three-engine and "stage-and-a-half" design, which allows two of the three engines to be discarded during propulsion, providing sufficient thrust at launch while maintaining a long propulsion time. It was designed to launch satellites into low-Earth orbit and geosynchronous orbit and was launched 63 times from 1988 to 2004.
Atlas-3 launch vehicle: The Cosmos 3 launch vehicle is a two-stage rocket, the first stage is a new technology, and the second stage is a Centaur rocket. The engine it uses is a Russian-made RD-180 engine.
Atlas-5 launch vehicle (Atlas V): This is the main model currently in use by ULA. It is a large solid-liquid bundled launch vehicle, developed by Lockheed Martin and owned and operated by the United Launch Alliance.
What are the advantages of the Atlas 5 rocket for the launch of the Starliner spacecraft?
The Atlas 5 rocket adopts a two-stage or two-and-a-half-stage configuration, and the core stage is equipped with a Russian RD-180 liquid oxygen kerosene engine with a single thrust of about 424 tons. The first stage is equipped with 0 to 5 GEM63 solid rocket boosters developed by Northrop Grumman, with a maximum thrust of about 168 tons.
The core second stage is equipped with one or two RL-10 series engines, of which the RL10A-4-2 has a thrust of about 10 tons each. The Atlas 5 rocket has a maximum length of 58.3 meters, a core stage with a maximum diameter of 3.81 meters, a maximum take-off mass of 590 tons, a low-Earth orbit (LEO) capacity of between 9.8 tons and 18.85 tons, and a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) capacity of between 4.75 tons and 8.9 tons.
The Atlas 5 rocket is highly reliable and flexible, and is used in a wide range of space missions, including the delivery of cargo and personnel to the International Space Station and the launch of government and commercial satellites. In addition, the Atlas 5 rocket has adopted a number of advanced technologies and designs to ensure its safety and reliability during launch.
In general, ULA's Atlas rocket is a highly reliable and flexible launch vehicle with a wide range of application prospects and potential.
Failed to start! The Starliner spacecraft aboard an Atlas 5 rocket
After several years of ups and downs, NASA and Boeing finally ushered in the momentous moment of the Starliner spacecraft manned mission. This high-profile milestone marks the first foray into manned spaceflight for the embattled aviation giant and its partner, the United Launch Alliance (ULA).
It is understood that this historic mission will be undertaken by the outstanding representative of ULA - Atlas 5 rocket, which will carry Boeing's CST-100Starliner spacecraft and two brave NASA astronauts to the International Space Station. However, on the eve of the much-anticipated launch, challenges and tests quietly came.
The Starliner spacecraft suffered a setback during its launch on an Atlas 5 rocket and the launch was unsuccessful. After an in-depth investigation by experts, it was discovered that the problem stemmed from a critical valve that may have exceeded its intended 200,000 life cycles and had to be replaced. This discovery forced the entire launch program to be postponed until next week.
The postponement has once again put Boeing's challenges in manned space in the spotlight. The company's first crew flight program has been repeatedly postponed due to capsule failures, which undoubtedly poses a serious test of its reputation and strength.
At last
The Starliner spacecraft was not released on time due to a rocket failure, and the astronauts were not delivered to the ISS as expected. However, in the face of the difficult situation, both Boeing and NASA said they would remain confident and remain committed to ensuring the success of the next launch.