CFT Commander Rates Starliner Handling of Manual Flying Tests

On the Starliner crew’s 35^th day in space, Crew Flight Test Commander Butch Wilmore brought the focus back to day one. “Launch was spectacular! I mean, truly amazing,” Wilmore said.

During the first press conference between Wilmore, pilot Suni Williams, and the media, he praised Starliner for its precision. “The spacecraft performed unbelievably well,” Wilmore said. “We have these things called the Cooper-Harper Pilot Rating Scale – one to ten. One being the best, ten being the worst.”

The Cooper-Harper Pilot Rating Scale, or CHPRS, is an evaluation tool for test pilots and engineers. On the scale, a one defines aircraft or spacecraft characteristics as “excellent” and “highly desirable” and means pilot compensation is not a factor for the desired performance.

“I’ve never given a one in all my flight test years for handling qualities, but I was tempted,” Wilmore said. “That’s how precise this spacecraft controlled in all aspects of the various tests we did.”

Although the spacecraft is usually autonomous, the crew used the hand controller to point and aim the spacecraft during about two hours of free-flight demonstrations on the day of launch. Then, on the day of docking, the crew took over manual control for about an hour on the V-bar, which is the axis when Starliner rendezvous with the International Space Station. Wilmore said even though five thrusters had been taken offline at the time, Starliner’s handling was still impressive.

“Coming into docking, those final ten meters, we have a tolerance when we actually connect with the space station (autonomously) of five degrees in attitude and about four inches in position,” Wilmore said. “Starliner came right down the middle, even with the degraded thrusters, which was truly impressive.”

The crew told reporters they’ve been doing science and maintenance on the ISS since they arrived. They fixed the station’s urine processor with a new pump brought up on Starliner. Williams said she performed gene sequencing and Wilmore conducted experiments with a 3-D printed moon microscope.

“We’ve been thoroughly busy up here,” said Williams. She said they have been integrated right into the crew – in which they’re now dubbing “Expedition 71-plus.”

Following the crew’s comments about Starliner’s launch and docking, members of the media asked about their return home. “I have a real good feeling in my heart that this spacecraft will bring us home no problem,” said Williams.

She said it is great to be back on the orbiting laboratory and feels like home to them. “I’m not complaining, Butch isn’t complaining, that we’re here for a couple of extra weeks.”

All work stopped for the Starliner ground teams Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. ET so they could listen to the crew speak from space. “We are very close and friends with those who are making these decisions and we trust them,” said Wilmore. “We trust their integrity.”

A replay of the crew news conference is available here.

Following the crew news conference, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program Manager Steve Stich and Boeing Commercial Crew Program Manager and Vice President Mark Nappi spoke extensively about the mission and testing plans ahead of the Crew Flight Test return. Listen to a replay of the leadership briefing.