OCTOBER 2016 | 27 and data storage. These are powerful machines designed to track all ground operations, connecting the Boeing, ULA and Houston control centers and the spacecraft, and leave no room for error. Otermat helped design these systems. Now he uses them to focus his attention on vehicle testing and for Starliner meeting stringent qualifications. Either way, he has made a strong commitment to the spacecraft. “It all comes down to trust and confidence, the trust that the astronauts have in us, that we operate safely,” Otermat said. “This is very important to me. I’ve always been interested in space, in joint ventures in space, and how much is unexplored. My goal is to stay with this program for its life.” Hallowed grounds that previously sent astronauts to the moon, rovers to Mars and probes to the outer reaches will roar to life once more when Starliner, widely referred to as a space taxi, lifts off with people on board from the Space Coast, now targeted for 2018, a few months after an unpiloted test flight. Spectators, enticed by a level of excitement that comes only with a human space launch, are expected to crowd surrounding highways and beaches to watch. At Kennedy Space Center, it is commonplace for everyone who works there to witness each launch, even a competitor’s. The NASA countdown, loudly audible across the grounds, draws employees outside to share in an electric moment that never gets old. Leonie Barden, a Boeing systems engineer, has been the exception—unintentionally. Barden’s job is to make sure all necessary documentation is in place when completing Starliner productionfloor work and parts procurement. Barden was so busy one afternoon she didn’t realize a launch was underway until suddenly feeling ground tremors and looking up to find she was the only one in the office. The launch went on without her. That won’t happen with Starliner. She made this vow while standing high above the C3PF factory floor, watching with interest as the domes for the original test capsule were moved into place to be mated. “When we launch the first vehicle, that’s really going to be a tremendous moment,” Barden said. “I’ll have seen it go from concept to design to flight. I won’t miss that.” • DANIEL.W.RALEY@BOEING.COM
Frontiers October 2016 Issue
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