Boeing's Starliner Launches on Crew Test Flight
First-Ever Astronaut Mission for Starliner Underway
NASA-Boeing Test Aims to Prove Spacecraft's Capabilities
The Boeing Company's Commercial Space Transportation-100 (CST-100) Starliner spacecraft has launched atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket on a Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission, marking the first-ever astronaut mission for Starliner.
The launch, which took place at 10:52 EDT (14:52 UTC) from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, is a critical test flight to demonstrate the spacecraft's capabilities for carrying astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS).
The Starliner crew for this mission consists of NASA astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Suni Williams, who will be joined by Boeing test pilot Mike Fincke. The crew is scheduled to spend approximately five to seven days in orbit, during which time they will assess the spacecraft's systems and performance.
One significant change for this mission is the planned landing on dry land rather than the traditional splashdown method used for previous ISS missions. This change will allow Boeing to retrieve the spacecraft more quickly and efficiently.
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