Calypso
Calypso at Cape Canaveral in April 2024.
Type	Space capsule
Class	Boeing Starliner
Eponym	RV Calypso
Serialno.	Spacecraft 3
Owner	Boeing Defense, Space & Security
Manufacturer	Boeing Defense, Space & Security
Specifications
Dimensions	5 m × 4.5 m (16 ft × 15 ft)
Launch mass	13,000 kg (29,000 lb)
Power	Solar cells; 2.9 kW (3.9 hp)
Rocket	Atlas V N22[a]
History
Location	White Sands Missile Range
First flight	20–22 December 2019 Boeing Orbital Flight Test
Last flight	5 June 2024 – 7 September 2024 Boeing Crewed Flight Test
Flights	2
Flight time	95 days, 14 hours and 31 minutes
Boeing Starliners
← Spacecraft 2

Boeing StarlinerCalypso (Spacecraft 3) is aspace capsule manufactured byBoeing and used inNASA'sCommercial Crew Program. On 20 December 2019,Calypso launched on theBoeing Orbital Flight Test mission, an uncrewed test flight of Starliner to theInternational Space Station. The spacecraft was scheduled to dock to the ISS and then return to Earth following a week in space, although due to several software issues the spacecraft was unable to rendezvous with the station and landed after two days in space, resulting in Boeing needing to schedule asecond Orbital Flight Test. It flew with two astronauts forStarliner Crewed Flight Test on its second mission in June 2024, though the capsule returned to Earth uncrewed after a series of malfunctions during the mission caused NASA to deem a crewed return flight too risky, instead returning them onSpaceX Crew-9.

In September 2014 Boeing was one of two companies selected by NASA to develop crewed spacecraft to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station, the other beingSpaceX. Boeing planned to construct three Starliner spacecraft. The spacecraft's ability to be reused up to ten times with a six-month turnaround time between flights meant three spacecraft would be enough to satisfy the needs of the Commercial Crew Program.^[1]

Spacecraft 3 launched for the first time on Boe-OFT, the first orbital flight of Starliner, on 20 December 2019. The uncrewed spacecraft was scheduled to dock with the ISS the following day. However, due to software errors causing the spacecraft's Mission Elapsed Timer (MET) to be off by 11 hours, the spacecraft performed an "off-nominal orbital insertion burn" that prevented the spacecraft from being able to rendezvous and dock with the ISS during the flight.^[2] Instead, the spacecraft remained in orbit for two days, performing as many tests as possible without the ISS rendezvous, and landed atWhite Sands Missile Range,New Mexico on 22 December 2019.^[3]

Upon landing, it was announced that the spacecraft would be reflown onStarliner-1, the first operational flight of Starliner to the ISS. After the announcement, NASA astronautSunita Williams, commander of Starliner-1, named the spacecraftCalypso afterJacques-Yves Cousteau'soceanography vessel,RVCalypso.^[4]Calypso is the only Starliner spacecraft to be given an official name. AlthoughCalypso was initially scheduled to return to space on Starliner-1, Boeing announced in March 2020 that they would refly the Orbital Flight Test asOFT-2, which rearranged the spacecraft assignments for subsequent missions.Calypso returned to space onBoe-CFT, the first crewed test flight of Starliner. Following the spacecraft's second flight it is unclear when Boeing or NASA will fly the spacecraft again. Boeing is contracted to fly five operational missions to the ISS under the Commercial Crew Program following Starliner-1, soCalypso will likely see space for a third time on a later crew rotation flight.

The launch window for the crewed test flight was scheduled to open on 7 May 2024.^[5][6] An overactive oxygen valve on theCentaur upper stage of the Atlas V rocket led to the launch being delayed by one day.^[7][8]

The flight was scheduled for liftoff at 2:34UTC on 7 May 2024, but was scrubbed about two hours before liftoff due to an oxygen valve problem on theUnited Launch Alliance's (ULA)Atlas V.^[b][9][10] After the initial scrub, the launch was repeatedly delayed due to a helium leak in the Starliner service module.^[11]

The second launch attempt was on 1 June at 16:25 UTC, but was scrubbed 3 minutes, 50 seconds before liftoff when the ground launch sequencer computer registered a loss of redundancy due to a faulty power supply. The third launch attempt on 5 June at 14:52 UTC was successful.

Calypso flew in space for the first time on theBoe-OFT mission on 20 December 2019. The spacecraft was subsequently reflown on theBoeing Crewed Flight Test in June 2024 after delays. It swapped places withSpacecraft 2 on the Starliner-1 mission.

Mission	Launch date (UTC)	Insignia	Crew	Remarks	Duration	Outcome
OFT-1	20 December 2019, 11:36:43		—	First uncrewed orbital test flight of Starliner. The mission's main objective to rendezvous with the ISS was aborted due to a software error returning an incorrect mission time, which led to a late orbital insertion burn with excessive fuel expenditure. This, and other issues, led to the need for asecond Orbital Flight Test.	2d, 1h, 22 m, 10s	Partial failure
Boeing CFT	5 June 2024, 14:52[6]		Barry E. Wilmore Sunita Williams	First crewed flight test of Boeing Starliner, transporting two NASA astronauts to the ISS. Originally scheduled for 2021, repeated delays pushed back the launch date. Returned uncrewed due to thruster failures on ascent.	93 days, 13 hours, 9 minutes	Partial failure

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