Boeing Starliner, selected by NASA in 2010, is set to make its first crewed voyage to the International Space Station (ISS) on May 6. The launch is scheduled for 10:34 p.m. ET from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore on board. The mission will test the Starliner spacecraft and subsystems before certifying it for repeat missions to the ISS. This is the first new spacecraft to head to the ISS since SpaceX Demo-2 in 2020.
The Starliner project, conceived as a commercial effort to take more people into space, faced delays in its initial test flights due to various reasons including unfavorable weather conditions and software issues. After the successful unmanned test flight in 2022, the crewed mission to the ISS was scheduled. The delays were caused by issues, including those with the Atlas V rocket that would launch the Starliner. However, the rocket is now ready for launch and the delays are behind the project.
NASA will livestream the event on its YouTube channel starting at 5:45 p.m. ET with commentary by Will Robinson-Smith from Spaceflight Now. Other YouTube channels like SpaceX, Space.com’s VideoFromSpace, and the Associated Press will also broadcast the launch. Viewers can surf YouTube for Starliner livestreams and choose the channel they prefer. The arrival of the Starliner at the ISS marks a significant milestone as the first crewed flight of a new-generation spacecraft.
The Starliner project was part of NASA’s initiative to rely more on private businesses to build and maintain spacecraft for missions to the ISS. Boeing and SpaceX were tapped for this task, and the successful launch of Starliner will open doors for more privately constructed spacecraft to shuttle astronauts to the ISS. The mission will test the spacecraft and its subsystems before certifying it for repeat use. The astronauts will spend a little over a week at the ISS for the testing phase.
The launch of the Starliner with an Atlas V rocket created by the United Launch Alliance signifies the culmination of a 14-year journey. The Starliner, initially conceived as a means of transporting more people into space, had to overcome various delays before finally reaching the point of a crewed mission to the ISS. NASA’s reliance on private businesses for spacecraft construction is a key part of the project, and the successful launch of the Starliner will pave the way for more advancements in space travel and exploration.
