Boeing tests space crew capsule, reports problem with parachute

Boeing says it carried out a successful test of its Starliner crew capsule that is supposed to take US astronauts to the International Space Station, even though one of three main parachutes designed to ease it back to earth failed to deploy.

The test took place in the New Mexico desert at the White Sands Missile Range and lasted around 95 seconds.

The Starliner was set on a small launch pad with four engines to simulate an emergency in which the capsule -- attached to the top of a rocket -- would need to quickly separate to bring the astronauts safely back to Earth.

Its four engines ignited and blasted the Starliner at full speed to the sky. After 20 seconds, only two of its three main parachutes deployed. The spacecraft gently drifted to the ground, landing on the desert floor cushioned by large air bags.

NASA said in a statement that two out of three parachutes "is acceptable for the test parameters and crew safety." Boeing put out a statement saying there had been a "deployment anomaly, not a parachute failure."
In his first assessment, Starliner program manager John Mulholland said that "the test team and spacecraft performed flawlessly." "Emergency scenario testing is very complex, and today our team validated that the spacecraft will keep our crew safe in the unlikely event of an abort."