Northwest Aerospace News August | September Issue No. 4 | Page 19

Today a different Space Race is
unfolding — this time to reach Mars.
Right now, Boeing employees in the
Puget Sound region and across the
country are working hard to build the
Space Launch System (SLS) for deep
space exploration.
Boeing’s commercial aircraft and
commercial derivative military aircraft
most likely come to mind when you
think of the aerospace industry’s
presence in Washington State. Thanks
to years of successful development by
Washington State aerospace workers,
who help drive best practices across
the company, Boeing successfully
channels many commercial aircraft
manufacturing tools, processes, hard-
ware, and systems to support its space
programs.
These commonalities help build the
next generation of space exploration
vehicles. Boeing’s Space Launch Sys-
tem will be the most powerful rocket
ever built when its final configuration
launches, capable of delivering 50
metric tons to the Moon.
And it won’t stop there. SLS is specifi-
cally designed and built for deep space
travel, capable of carrying humans,
cargo, and science missions past the
Moon to Mars and on to other deep
space missions.
Boeing’s Starliner is a 21st-century
capsule that will take NASA astronauts
to and from low-Earth orbit, including
to the International Space Station.
With an expanded capacity to carry
220 pounds of equipment and cargo,
as well as up to seven astronauts, the
scientific research Starliner will en-
able aboard ISS is expansive. And this
capsule was specifically designed for
a generation of astronauts reared on
the iPhone and tablet computers — its
touch screen display is configured to
operate with special gloves on Boe-
ing’s award-winning “Boeing Blue”
spacesuit.
Contrary to popular
opinion, launching the next
generation of space travel is
not just for billionaires.
You can follow Boeing’s journey to
Mars on the @BoeingSpace Twitter
feed. To really support our astronauts’
mission to Mars, sign up for the Watch
U.S. Fly grassroots community at
www.WatchUSFly.com to receive
early access to breaking news on
Boeing’s next space journey, including
updates on Starliner’s first launch later
this year.
In 1969, the world watched as Ameri-
cans took a giant leap for mankind and
fueled a generation’s curiosity about
the wonders of space. Nearly 50 years
later, Boeing continues to honor that
spirit by creating the most advanced
and safest platforms for deep space
exploration. Who knows were the next
generation of space innovation and
exploration will take us, but one this is
for sure — Boeing will be a key part
of it.
Learn more at:
www.watchusfly.com
AUGUST | SEPTEMBER 2018 ISSUE NO. 4
19