NASA astronauts to fly on Boeing's Starliner on June 1
What's the story
Boeing's new Starliner capsule is set to embark on its inaugural astronaut mission on June 1, following a successful flight readiness review. The review was conducted by teams from Boeing, NASA, and United Launch Alliance (ULA), who "verified launch readiness, including all systems, facilities and teams supporting the test flight," according to NASA officials. The Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission will launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Mission details
Two astronauts to visit International Space Station aboard Starliner
The CFT mission will transport NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore (61) and Sunita Williams (58) to the International Space Station (ISS) for approximately a week. The Starliner capsule is scheduled to lift off atop a ULA Atlas V rocket at 12:25pm EDT (9:55pm IST). This launch, originally planned for May 6, was postponed due to technical issues.
Troubleshooting
Helium leak deemed stable
The initial May 6 launch was canceled two hours prior due to a malfunctioning valve in the Atlas V's upper stage. The Starliner was subsequently moved off the launch pad to a processing building for valve replacement. A minor helium leak associated with a reaction-control thruster in Starliner's service module was also detected, but mission teams deemed it stable and not posing a significant threat to CFT mission success.
Pre-Launch preparations
Astronauts arrive at Space Coast for Starliner mission
Astronauts Wilmore and Williams arrived at the Space Coast on May 28, after undergoing training and quarantine at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. If the CFT mission is successful, Starliner will be certified to transport NASA astronauts to and from the ISS on long-duration missions. This will mark Starliner's third flight overall, following a successful second (uncrewed) mission to the ISS in May 2022.
Contract details
Boeing and SpaceX: NASA's partners in space exploration
Boeing holds a contract with NASA to ferry astronauts to and from the ISS, similar to SpaceX. The latter is currently executing its eighth contracted astronaut mission for NASA, known as Crew-8. This partnership with private companies is part of NASA's broader strategy to ensure regular manned missions to the ISS. The upcoming Starliner mission will further solidify this collaborative approach in space exploration.