NASA Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams Safe in Orbit After Successful Spacecraft Launch Boeing Starliner, in the first crewed flight test. This liftoff took place at 10:52 a.m. EDT from the space launch complex at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, using a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket.
“Two bold NASA astronauts are underway on this historic first test flight of a new spacecraft,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
“Boeing’s Starliner marks a new chapter in American exploration. Human spaceflight is an audacious task, but that is why it is worth doing them. “It is an exciting time for the agency, our commercial partners and the future of exploration,” he concluded.
Why is this launch important?
This mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and its objective is to validate the transportation system, launch platform, rocket, spacecraft, and operational capabilities in orbit, in addition to ensuring a safe return to Earth with astronauts on board. Prior to this crewed flight, Starliner had performed two uncrewed orbital flights and a pad abort demonstration.
Furthermore, unlike SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, which can only land on water, the Starliner has the ability to land on both land and water. This versatility is significant for mission operations and recovery.
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Likewise, astronauts aboard the Starliner are tasked with changing one of the urine tanks on the International Space Station, which has been failing since May 29.
Mark Nappi, vice president and director of Boeing’s commercial crew program, said that “with the launch of Starliner, its separation from the rocket and its arrival in orbit, Boeing’s crewed flight test is on the right track.”
The Boeing team in Houston and the NASA teams in the Johnson Space Center They are monitoring the flight to ensure the safety and success of the mission.
The Starliner spacecraft will dock autonomously to the forward port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module at 12:15 p.m. on June 6 and will remain there for about a week.
During their stay, Wilmore and Williams will check the operation of the spacecraft, including the environmental control system and thrusters.
Image: Pot
