Boeing’s Starliner capsule launched its first astronaut-crewed journey to the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday, following repeated delays.
The launch happened at 10:52 a.m. ET from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
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The weather was 90% favorable for the launch. During a livestream, Derrol Nail of NASA Communications stated that the crew had been monitoring the cumulus cloud forecast because if the rocket flew over cumulus clouds, it could trigger its own lightning strike.
About 15 minutes after launch, the rocket parted from the spacecraft, allowing Starliner to fly autonomously. At 11:24 a.m. ET, Boeing Space announced that Starliner had attained a stable orbit.
The Starliner is built to carry a seven-person crew, but aboard the “test drive” launch are NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore, 61, a former US Navy captain who will command the mission, and Sunita Williams, 58, a former Navy service member who will pilot the flight.
A team from the United Space Alliance (ULA), which builds and operates rockets that send spacecraft into orbit, began loading cryogenic propellant into the rocket early this morning, indicating that the launch was ready to fly.
Wilmore and Williams boarded the capsule around 8:00 a.m. ET, took their seats, and went through a series of checks, including communications and suit checks, according to a post on X from Boeing Space.
This will be Wilmore’s third voyage to the ISS, NASA announced during its Wednesday broadcast. Williams is also on her third space journey and will be the first woman to do a test flight in an orbiting spacecraft, according to NASA.
NASA estimates that it will take Starliner about 24 hours to reach the ISS after launch, during which the crew will test various flying objects, such as equipment.
Despite the spacecraft’s ability to fly independently, Boeing Space stated that Wilmore and Williams will manually pilot Starline at some points to demonstrate its capabilities.
Williams and Wilmore will examine the spacecraft and its systems for one week aboard the ISS. Upon re-entry, the spacecraft will deploy parachutes and an airbag mechanism, bringing the pair to the western United States.
It follows multiple delays to Starliner’s launch. An issue with an oxygen valve on the ULA rocket led to the cancellation of the crewed flight test, originally scheduled for May 6.
The service module, which houses the support equipment and instrumentation for spacecraft operations, discovered a minor helium leak, forcing a new launch date of May 25.
Minutes before the launch was due to begin, the computer ground launch sequencer failed to load into the correct operational configuration after proceeding into terminal count, leading to the cancellation of another scheduled launch for June 2.
NASA estimates that it will take Starliner about 24 hours to reach the ISS after launch, during which the crew will test various flying objects, such as equipment.
If the flight is successful, NASA may certify the spacecraft for routine missions to and from the ISS. NASA has mostly used SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft to deliver crew and supplies to the International Space Station (ISS).
The missions are part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which employs American rockets and spacecraft to carry humans and cargo to the International Space Station in the hopes of assisting the government space agency in preparing for future moon and Mars expeditions.
