First NASA Astronauts to Fly Boeing's Starliner Spacecraft to Dock and Board the ISS

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have embarked on a historic journey aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, heading towards the International Space Station (ISS).

Boeing Crew Flight Test of NASA

The mission, known as NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test, commenced at 10:52 a.m. EDT Wednesday, with the astronauts launching atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

This inaugural crewed flight test aims to evaluate the entire Starliner system thoroughly. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson expressed confidence in the mission, hailing it as a significant milestone in American space exploration.

He emphasized the daring nature of human spaceflight and its inherent value, highlighting the collective excitement surrounding NASA, its commercial partners, and the future of space exploration.

"It's an exciting time for NASA, our commercial partners, and the future of exploration. Go Starliner, Go Butch and Suni!" Nelson said in a statement.

The flight test aims to validate various elements, including the transportation system, launch pad, rocket, spacecraft, in-orbit operations capabilities, and the safe return to Earth with astronauts onboard as a component of NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

This process is crucial as NASA works towards certifying Starliner for rotational missions to the space station. According to NASA, before this, Starliner had undergone two uncrewed orbital flights, one of which involved a test to and from the space station and a pad abort demonstration.

Safe and Successful Journey for NASA Astronauts

Boeing's Commercial Crew Program Vice President and Program Manager, Mark Nappi, affirmed the mission's progress, ensuring a safe and successful journey for the astronauts aboard.

Throughout the flight, Boeing will closely track Starliner's every move from its mission control center in Houston, Texas. On the other hand, NASA teams will monitor space station operations from the Johnson Space Center's Mission Control Center, also in Houston.

According to NASA, Starliner will autonomously link up with the forward-facing port of the station's Harmony module around 12:15 p.m. on Thursday, June 6, and stay connected to the orbital laboratory for at least a week.

During the journey, Wilmore and Williams will be responsible for ensuring the spacecraft's proper operation. They will execute tests on various systems, including the environmental control system, displays, control system, thrusters, and many more.

Following their safe arrival at the space station, the two new astronauts will join the Expedition 71 crew, which includes NASA astronauts Tracy C. Dyson, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, and Matt Dominick and Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, and Alexander Grebenkin.

"For many of us, this is a career-defining moment bringing on a new crew transportation capability for our agency and our nation," said Steve Stich, the manager for Commercial Crew Program, at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

"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," he added.