Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

White Sands Missile Range personnel supporting NASA and Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) landing and recovery of the Starliner spacecraft participated in a Mission Dress Rehearsal on May 18, 2022 at White Sands Space Harbor.
Credit: Anne Marie Chadima, White Sands Missile Range Public Affairs

All is ready for receiving the uncrewed CST-100 Starliner spacecraft, making its touchdown at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

The Boeing-built spacecraft departed on May 19 from Space Launch Complex 41 in Cape Canaveral, Florida to successfully link up with the International Space Station.

The anticipated landing is on May 25 at White Sands Missile Range.

A Starliner Mission Dress Rehearsal was held on May 18 at White Sands Space Harbor, a spaceport that was formerly used as a Space Shuttle runway, a test site for rocket research, and the primary training area used by NASA for Space Shuttle pilots practicing approaches and landings in the Shuttle Training Aircraft and T-38 Talon aircraft.

Credit: Anne Marie Chadima, White Sands Missile Range Public Affairs

White Sands Missile Range provides Army, Navy, Air Force, DoD, and other customers with services for experimentation, test, research, assessment, development, and training.

Weather: significant factor

Karla James works for the Materiel Test Directorate as the Air and Space Branch Test Officer at White Sands Missile Range, WSMR for short.

James noted that they will determine the capsule’s trajectory on the day of the anticipated landing, with weather playing a significant factor. The WSMR Meteorology Branch is providing weather data utilizing weather balloon releases. If the weather or any other factor causes the module to shift from the agreed-upon landing sites between WSMR and Boeing, the crew module will need to land at an alternate site or delay the spacecraft’s return.

White Sands Missile Range personnel supporting NASA and Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) landing and recovery of the Starliner spacecraft participated in a Mission Dress Rehearsal on May 18, 2022 at White Sands Space Harbor.
Credit: Anne Marie Chadima, White Sands Missile Range Public Affairs

Since there are two potential landing sites on the installation, the entire WSMR team, Boeing, NASA, and all other personnel need to be prepared for the landing and recovery to happen at either location. They also have alternate landing plans that are executable within a few hours if the flight tests or missions need to return earlier than originally planned.

Ground recovery operations

According to Vanessa Flores of White Sands Missile Range Public Affairs, for the Starliner landing, a “Counter Drone” is to video an aerial view of ground recovery, expected to show various vehicles en route to the capsule after it lands.

Also, the U.S. Army White Sands Missile Range Garrison Fire Department has received training on their part in the landing and recovery process. In the future, they will also receive training on what to do when astronauts are present within the capsule.

Credit: Boeing

On capsule landing, Boeing has a requirement to ensure it is safe to approach the capsule and open the hatch. Boeing personnel in protective suits with hydrazine monitors and, depending on the wind, are to determine where to set up the staging area.

“Up-wind or down-wind plays a key part in the location,” James said.

Landing sequence

This is the second landing of the Starliner spacecraft on the Army installation. The first landing was in December 2019, with the unpiloted capsule completing the first land touchdown of a human-rated capsule in U.S. history.

In November of 2019, the Boeing Pad Abort Test also landed successfully at White Sands Missile Range.

Credit: Boeing

According to Boeing, on landing day, the parachute sequence begins around 30,000 feet (9 km) above the ground, when Starliner jettisons the forward heat shield that protects the parachutes during reentry. Two drogue parachutes begin slowing Starliner down, then detach. The three main parachutes are then deployed and inflated, and about 3,000 feet (0.9 km) off the ground, the airbags inflate. On touchdown, those airbags absorb the initial forces of landing.

The Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft is seen after it landed in White Sands, New Mexico on December 22, 2019. The landing completed an abbreviated Orbital Flight Test for the company.
Credits: NASA/Bill Ingalls