Astronaut Suni Williams cannonballs off a Boeing CST-100 Starliner after an ascent emergency rescue simulation.
NASA astronaut Suni Williams cannonballs off a Boeing CST-100 Starliner test article after NASA engineers and Air Force pararescuemen climbed aboard the spacecraft to simulate rescuing astronauts in the event of an emergency during launch or ascent.
The Starliner is designed for land-based returns, but simulating rescue operations at NASA’s Langley Research Center’s Hydro Impact Basin in Hampton, Virginia, ensures flight crew and ground support are versed in what to do during a contingency scenario.
For more information about rescue and safety operations, see Commercial Crew: Building in Safety from the Ground Up in a Unique Way.
Credit: NASA/David C. Bowman