Boeing’s Starliner astronaut capsule is en path to the ISS

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is formally on its method to the Worldwide Area Station, marking a historic first for the long-delayed astronaut transportation program. Contained in the spacecraft are two NASA astronauts — spaceflight veterans Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams — who’re set to reach to the station on Thursday. 

The spacecraft lifted off at 10:55 a.m. ET from NASA’s Kennedy Area Heart aboard an Atlas V rocket from United Launch Alliance (a Boeing-Lockheed Martin three way partnership). The lift-off comes after a string of delays that pushed the mission again by practically a month, first on account of points with the Atlas rocket and later on account of an issue with one of many three floor computer systems chargeable for the launch countdown. 

Whereas there are extra milestones Starliner should hit earlier than Boeing and NASA can name the mission a hit — docking to the ISS and ultimately returning the astronauts again to Earth — it’s nonetheless a historic leap ahead for the aerospace big’s lengthy delayed astronaut transportation program. 

If all goes to plan, Boeing will change into NASA’s second astronaut transportation supplier, becoming a member of Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Each corporations have been awarded multi-billion-dollar NASA contracts to develop a crewed taxi service a decade in the past, however Boeing’s program has been beset by technical delays which have run the corporate greater than $1.5 billion over price range. Boeing did execute a profitable uncrewed mission to the ISS in Might 2022, however that is the primary time the spacecraft has carried people. 

Whereas Boeing has struggled, SpaceX has soared: Utilizing its Crew Dragon capsule, SpaceX has been offering astronaut transportation to and from the ISS since 2020. 

Wilmore and Williams will make an round 26-hour journey to the ISS, with an anticipated arrival at round 12:15 p.m. EST Thursday. Throughout their journey, they’ll carry out a handful of flight take a look at targets to help Strainer’s certification for normal missions. They’ll have to show the efficiency of crew tools from prelaunch to ascent, and assess Starliner’s thrust efficiency, take a look at navigation programs, conduct communication checkouts, and consider life help programs. 

Even after Starliner autonomously docks to the station and the crew are onboard the ISS, the 2 astronauts will carry out much more evaluations of the spacecraft’s efficiency, together with figuring out whether or not it will probably carry out as a “protected haven” for astronauts within the unlikely occasion of a difficulty aboard the house station. 

Wilmore and Williams will stay onboard the station for round every week earlier than reboarding the spacecraft. After simply six hours, Starliner is anticipated to make a touchdown below parachutes and assisted by airbags someplace within the southwestern United States. 

That is the final main step earlier than Starliner might be licensed as an operational crew system, and the primary Starliner mission is anticipated to launch in 2025.