Cape Canaveral, FL: NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have successfully launched into orbit on the first crewed flight test of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, marking a pivotal moment in American space exploration. The mission, part of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test, began at 10:52 a.m. EDT Wednesday with a launch from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station aboard a ULA Atlas V rocket.
“Two bold NASA astronauts are well on their way on this historic first test flight of a brand-new spacecraft,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “Boeing’s Starliner marks a new chapter of American exploration. Human spaceflight is a daring task – but that’s why it’s worth doing. It’s an exciting time for NASA, our commercial partners, and the future of exploration. Go Starliner, Go Butch and Suni!”
This flight test is a critical step for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, designed to validate the Starliner’s transportation system, including its launch pad, rocket, spacecraft, in-orbit operations, and safe return to Earth. Previous tests included two uncrewed orbital flights and a pad abort demonstration.
“With Starliner’s launch, separation from the rocket, and arrival on orbit, Boeing’s Crew Flight Test is right on track,” said Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager of Boeing’s Commercial Crew Program. “Everyone is focused on giving Suni and Butch a safe, comfortable ride and performing a successful test mission from start to finish.”
Throughout the mission, Boeing’s mission control center in Houston will oversee the Starliner’s automatic spacecraft maneuvers, while NASA teams at the Johnson Space Center will monitor space station operations.
“Flying crew on Starliner represents over a decade of work by the Commercial Crew Program and our partners at Boeing and ULA,” said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. “For many of us, this is a career-defining moment, bringing on a new crew transportation capability for our agency and our nation. We are going to take it one step at a time, putting Starliner through its paces, and remaining vigilant until Butch and Suni safely touch down back on Earth at the conclusion of this test flight.”
Starliner is scheduled to autonomously dock with the International Space Station’s Harmony module at 12:15 p.m. Thursday, June 6. Wilmore and Williams will conduct various tests to verify the spacecraft’s systems, including the environmental control system, displays and controls, and thrusters.
Upon arrival at the ISS, Wilmore and Williams will join the Expedition 71 crew, which includes NASA astronauts Michael Barratt, Matt Dominick, Tracy C. Dyson, Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin, and Oleg Kononenko.
This mission represents a significant milestone in NASA’s efforts to maintain and expand human spaceflight capabilities, fostering deeper collaboration with commercial partners to achieve ambitious goals in space exploration.–News Desk