Items representing Tennessee State University (TSU) were part of the cargo aboard Boeing spacecraft CST-100 Starliner that recently returned to earth after a successful six-day mission to the International Space Station, the university announced in a press release.
“Tennessee State University is proud to be among the 14 historically black colleges and universities that Boeing recognized on the space flight of its CST-100 Starliner with flags, pennants, and other items,” TSU President Glenda Glover said in a statement. “We are proud of our partnership with Boeing, which has led to internships and other opportunities that have propelled many of our students to successful careers. This recognition shows Boeing’s commitment to equity and inclusion, and highlights, once again, the importance of HBCUs.”
TSU was one of 14 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) asked to send flags, small pennants and other items representing their institutions, to be flown onboard Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
“Closing representation gaps in our community and our industry is a priority for Boeing, and inspiring diverse students to pursue careers in aerospace is an important part of that effort,” Boeing President and CEO David Calhoun said in a statement. “By representing HBCUs on our Staliner mission, we are demonstrating our commitment to working with these institutions to advance equity and inclusion and help ensure a bright future for their students.”
The unmanned spacecraft for Orbit Flight Test-2 or OFT-2, launched May 19th.
Liftoff!
Go #AtlasV! Go Centaur! Go #Starliner! pic.twitter.com/SxXI7tfBwh
— Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) May 19, 2022
It then connected to the Boeing-built International Docking Adapter at the International Space Station on May 20th.
#Starliner successfully docked to @Space_Station today. The spacecraft connected to the Boeing-built International Docking Adapter at 7:28 p.m. CT.
We’ll be back for #Starliner’s hatch opening ceremony on May 21 at 10:30 a.m. CT.
More: https://t.co/QB4xLKidFS pic.twitter.com/YZy7DKDLHV
— Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) May 21, 2022
The spacecraft returned to earth May 25th, making a safe landing at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.
Touchdown, #Starliner! pic.twitter.com/5MJUoAYhqg
— Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) May 25, 2022
On Wednesday, the Starliner arrived back at Boeing’s Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida where it will be prepared for re-flight on the Starliner’s first long-duration ISS crew rotation mission, known as Starliner-1.
#Starliner packed its bags and headed home to @NASAKennedy after #OFT2!
Learn more about the return and find out the next steps for this spacecraft's future:https://t.co/H623jO0lhW pic.twitter.com/UilUfKOdLj
— Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) June 9, 2022
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner” by NASA.
