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
00:00Ascent begins at T-0, liftoff, the end of the countdown and the beginning of the mission.
00:20Shortly afterwards, at T-12 seconds, the rocket rolls, lining up Starliner with its target orbit and putting the astronauts in a heads up position.
00:29Then, around T-plus 40 seconds, Max-Q starts. That's also known as Max Aerodynamic Pressure. This is a critical time when the atmospheric forces reach their highest.
00:42Next, at about plus 1 minute 35 seconds, the two solid rocket boosters run out of fuel and burn out, and about a minute later they separate from the booster.
00:52The Atlas booster engine continues to burn for almost two more minutes. Then, at approximately plus 430, booster engine cutoff, or Biko.
01:02About 5 seconds later, the booster separates, and so does the ascent cover on top of Starliner.
01:08At around 4 minutes 45 seconds, the Centaur upper stage ignites, continuing the push to orbital speeds.
01:15Then, a little after 5 minutes, Starliner is free of the atmosphere, and doesn't need additional aerodynamic support, and the aeroskirt is jettisoned.
01:25After a long 6-plus minute push from Centaur, main engine cutoff, or Miko, happens around 12 minutes after liftoff.
01:33Then, when Centaur successfully separates almost 15 minutes after launch, ULA's job is done.
01:41But Starliner is not quite in orbit yet.
01:44After a 16-minute coast, Starliner ignites four of its Orbital Maneuvering and Attitude Control, or OMAC engines, for the orbital insertion burn,
01:53and then 31 minutes after liftoff, the ascent profile is complete.