-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueThe Rise of Data
Analytics is a given in this industry, but the threshold is changing. If you think you're too small to invest in analytics, you may need to reconsider. So how do you do analytics better? What are the new tools, and how do you get started?
Counterfeit Concerns
The distribution of counterfeit parts has become much more sophisticated in the past decade, and there's no reason to believe that trend is going to be stopping any time soon. What might crop up in the near future?
Solder Printing
In this issue, we turn a discerning eye to solder paste printing. As apertures shrink, and the requirement for multiple thicknesses of paste on the same board becomes more commonplace, consistently and accurately applying paste becomes ever more challenging.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
Boeing Starliner Completes First Orbital Flight Test with Successful Landing
December 23, 2019 | BoeingEstimated reading time: 1 minute
The Boeing CST-100 Starliner's first mission ended historically today when it became the first American orbital space capsule to land on American soil rather than in an ocean.
The spacecraft's crew module landed at the U.S. Army's White Sands Missile Range at 5:48 a.m. Mountain time, after spending just over two days on orbit and checking off a number of flight test objectives. The last time a spacecraft landed at the historic White Sands Space Harbor runway was in 1982, when Space Shuttle Columbia touched down, ending its STS-3 mission.
Shortly after its December 20 launch and separation from its booster rocket, Starliner experienced a mission timing anomaly that made it use too much fuel to reach the intended destination of the International Space Station. Flight controllers were able to address the issue and put Starliner into a lower, stable orbit. The vehicle demonstrated key systems and capabilities before being signaled to return to Earth.
"The Starliner team's quick recovery and ability to achieve many mission objectives – including safe deorbit, re-entry and landing – is a testament to the people of Boeing who have dedicated years of their lives working toward the achievement of commercial human spaceflight," said John Mulholland, vice president and program manager of Boeing's Commercial Crew Program. "Their professionalism and collaboration with our NASA customer in challenging conditions allowed us to make the most of this mission."
The Starliner landing demonstrated the robustness of its landing systems, including its innovative parachutes and airbags.
Although this Starliner carried no people, it did have a passenger. An anthropometric test device, named "Rosie," was in the commander's seat for the entire mission. She was outfitted with about a dozen sensors that collected data to help prove Starliner is safe for future human crews.
Next, this crew module will be returned to Florida for data retrieval, analysis and refurbishment for future missions. It is the vehicle chosen to fly NASA astronauts Sunita "Suni" Williams and Josh Cassada, along with two international partner astronauts, on the first operational mission. In parallel, Boeing's Starliner team is finalizing the vehicle that will fly Boeing astronaut Chris Ferguson and NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Nicole Mann on the Crewed Flight Test.
Suggested Items
NEOTech Significantly Improves Wire Bond Pull Test Process
11/25/2024 | NEOTechNEOTech, a leading provider of electronic manufacturing services (EMS), design engineering, and supply chain solutions in the high-tech industrial, medical device, and aerospace/defense markets, proudly announces a major advancement in its wire bond pull testing process, reducing manufacturing cycle time by more than 60% while maintaining industry-leading production yields of over 99.99%.
Real Time with... electronica 2024: SPEA's AI Integration—Innovations in Test Equipment
11/25/2024 | Real Time with... electronicaIn this interview from electronica 2024, Pete Starkey speaks with Andrea Furnari, VP of Electronic Test Products Business Unit for SPEA. The discussion revolves around AI integration in test equipment, trends in substrate materials, and SPEA's focus on R&D.
Winners of IPC Hand Soldering World Championship at electronica 2024 Announced
11/21/2024 | IPCIPC hosted its Hand Soldering World Championship in Munich, Germany, at electronica on 14-15 November 2024, welcoming 14 competitors from 13 companies and 12 countries worldwide. Skilled contestants competed to build an electronics assembly in accordance with IPC-A-610 Class 3 criteria, and were judged on the functionality of the assembly, compliance with the assembly process and overall product quality. The contestants were allowed a maximum of 60 minutes to complete the assembly.
Indie Semiconductor Extends Automotive Photonics Leadership with Advanced Optical Component Integration Capabilities
11/20/2024 | indie Semiconductorindie Semiconductor, an automotive solutions innovator, has extended its photonics offering with the addition of in-house photonics integration, packaging and system test capabilities.
Northrop Grumman Delivers Stand-in Attack Weapon Test Missile to the US Air Force
11/19/2024 | Northrop GrummanNorthrop Grumman Corporation has delivered the Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW) test missile, which is designed to verify that the launch aircraft can safely carry and separate the weapon.