Boeing sends 'Rosie' dummy to space in key crewless mission

[nitpicker]

https://phys.org/news/2019-12-boeing-rosie-dummy-space-key.html

December 20, 2019

Boeing sends 'Rosie' dummy to space in key crewless mission

by Ivan Couronne

Boeing is set to launch its Starliner capsule Friday on a crewless eight-day journey to the International Space Station and back, a dry run for NASA's plans to end US dependence on Russia for space rides.
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The mission's sole passenger will be bandana-clad dummy Rosie, named after Rosie the Riveter, the star of a campaign aimed at recruiting women to munitions factory jobs during World War II that featured her wearing blue overalls and flexing a bicep.
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Under former president Barack Obama, NASA opted for a shift in how it operates: instead of owning the hardware, it would hire private companies to take over the role, awarding Boeing and SpaceX billions of dollars to develop "Made in the USA" solutions.

Both companies are running two years behind schedule but appear almost ready: approval now rests on the successful completion of final tests.
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A giant Atlas V rocket will take off shortly before sunrise, at 6:36 am local time (1136 GMT), from the famed Cape Canaveral on Florida's coastline, where all US crewed flights are launched.

Starliner, which is fixed to its summit, will separate 15 minutes later and enter Earth's orbit. About 25 hours later, it will dock autonomously with the space station, 250 miles (400 kilometers) above sea level.

Its return to the Earth, in the southwest US, is set for December 28.
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[3Hotdogs]

1. I hope Rosie was able to pay for the computer "patch" that Boing

charged for the 737.