Umsebenzi wokuqala we-Boeing CST-100 Starliner uphele ngokwembali namhlanje xa yaba yindawo yokuqala ye-American orbital capsule ukuba ifike kumhlaba waseMelika kunokuba ibe selwandle.
Imodyuli yabasebenzi besiphekepheke bafika kuMkhosi we-US White Sands Missile Range ngo-5:48 am ngexesha laseNtabeni, emva kokuchitha nje iintsuku ezimbini kwi-orbit kunye nokujonga inani leenjongo zovavanyo lokubhabha. Isihlandlo sokugqibela isiphekepheke safika kumgaqo weenqwelo-moya wembali weWhite Sands Space Harbor yayingowe-1982, xa iSpace Shuttle. Columbiaichukumise, iphelisa umsebenzi wayo we-STS-3.
Kungekudala emva kokusungulwa kwayo nge-20 kaDisemba kunye nokwahlula kwi-rocket yayo ye-booster, i-Starliner yafumana ingxaki yexesha eliye layenza ukuba isebenzise amafutha amaninzi kakhulu ukufikelela kwindawo ekujoliswe kuyo kwiSikhululo seSithuba seHlabathi. Abalawuli be-Flight baye bakwazi ukulungisa ingxaki kwaye babeka i-Starliner kwindawo ephantsi, ezinzileyo. Isithuthi sibonise iinkqubo eziphambili kunye nobuchule ngaphambi kokuba sisayinwe ukuba sibuyele eMhlabeni.
"Iqela le-Starliner elichacha ngokukhawuleza kunye nokukwazi ukufikelela kwiinjongo ezininzi ze-mission - kubandakanywa ukuhamba ngokukhuselekileyo, ukungena kwakhona kunye nokufika - bubungqina kubantu baseBoeing abazinikele iminyaka yobomi babo besebenzela ukufezekiswa kwe-spaceflight yabantu," watsho. UJohn Mulholland, usekela mongameli kunye nomphathi wenkqubo yeBoeing's Commercial Crew Programme. "Ubuchule babo kunye nentsebenziswano kunye nomthengi wethu weNASA kwiimeko ezicelomngeni kusivumele ukuba siwenze kakuhle lo msebenzi."
Ukuhla kwe-Starliner kubonise ukomelela kweenkqubo zayo zokumisa, kuquka iiparashuti zayo ezintsha kunye neengxowa zomoya.
Nangona le Starliner ingathwalanga bantu, ibinaye umkhweli. Isixhobo sovavanyo lwe-anthropometric, esigama lingu "Rosie," sasikwisihlalo somphathi kulo lonke ubizo. Wayexhotyiswe malunga neshumi elinambini le-sensor eziqokelele idatha ukunceda ukubonisa ukuba i-Starliner ikhuselekile kubasebenzi bexesha elizayo.
Okulandelayo, le modyuli yabasebenzi iya kubuyiselwa eFlorida ukuze ifumane kwakhona idatha, uhlalutyo kunye nokulungiswa kwemishini yexesha elizayo. Sisithuthi esikhethwe ukuba sibhabhe oosomajukujuku beNASA uSunita “Suni” Williams noJosh Cassada, kunye noosomajukujuku ababini abasebenzisana namazwe ngamazwe, kwimishini yokuqala yokusebenza. Ngaxeshanye, iqela le-Boeing's Starliner ligqibezela isithuthi esiza kubhabha i-Boeing kasomajukujuku uChris Ferguson kunye nosomajukujuku beNASA uMike Fincke noNicole Mann kuVavanyo lweFlight Crewed.
Ukufumana okungakumbi ngeStarliner, ndwendwela www.boeing.com/starliner.
