THE HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT BLOG: From the Space Shuttle to Beyond

Boeing CST-100 Update... Less than a month after its launch abort engine was successfully tested in California, the Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 spacecraft achieved another milestone when it safely landed in the middle of Delmar Dry Lake Bed in Nevada during a parachute test on April 3. The CST-100 boilerplate capsule used in the test was released from a helicopter 11,000 feet above the ground, with the capsule being guided to a smooth landing after its three main parachutes flawlessly deployed moments later.

Assuming its development process isn't severely hampered by a lack of (NASA) funding, the CST-100 will hopefully launch aboard an Atlas V rocket and send cargo to the International Space Station (ISS) within a few years. In terms of ferrying astronauts to the ISS, the timeline is more uncertain...as it will be up to our Legislature in Washington, D.C. to decide whether or not NASA gives Boeing and other commercial space companies such as Sierra Nevada Corp the resources they need to make up for the capability that was lost after the space shuttle was retired. We'll see.


Boeing