This animation shows Boeing Starliner launching to space on board a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. Starliner is one of two spacecraft built to carry astronauts to and from the International Space Station.
Credit: Boeing
Credit: Boeing
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TechTranscript
00:00 [Music]
00:14 Ascent begins at T-minus zero, lift off, the end of the countdown, and the beginning of the mission.
00:20 Shortly afterwards, at T-plus twelve seconds, the rocket rolls,
00:24 lining up Starliner with its target orbit and putting the astronauts in a heads-up position.
00:30 Then, around T-plus forty seconds, max Q starts.
00:34 That's also known as max aerodynamic pressure.
00:37 This is a critical time when the atmospheric forces reach their highest.
00:42 Next, at about plus one minute thirty-five seconds, the two solid rocket boosters run out of fuel and burn out,
00:49 and about a minute later they separate from the booster.
00:52 The Atlas booster engine continues to burn for almost two more minutes.
00:57 Then, at approximately plus four thirty, booster engine cutoff, or BECO.
01:02 About five seconds later, the booster separates, and so does the ascent cover on top of Starliner.
01:09 At around four minutes forty-five seconds, the Centaur upper stage ignites,
01:13 continuing the push to orbital speeds.
01:16 Then a little after five minutes, Starliner is free of the atmosphere and doesn't need additional aerodynamic support,
01:23 and the aero skirt is jettisoned.
01:26 After a long six-plus minute push from Centaur, main engine cutoff, or MECO, happens around twelve minutes after liftoff.
01:35 Then, when Centaur successfully separates almost fifteen minutes after launch, ULA's job is done.
01:41 But Starliner is not quite in orbit yet.
01:45 After a sixteen-minute coast, Starliner ignites four of its orbital maneuvering and attitude control, or OMAC, engines
01:52 for the orbital insertion burn, and then thirty-one minutes after liftoff, the ascent profile is complete.
01:59 [Music]