LIFTOFF! NASA Astronauts Pilot First Starliner Crewed Test to Station

Charles Elliot and Daily News Staff

4 weeks ago

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft aboard launches from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Wednesday, June 5, 2024, in Florida. NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test is the first launch with astronauts of the Boeing CFT-100 spacecraft and United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. The flight test, which launched at 10:52 a.m. EDT, serves as an end-to-end demonstration of Boeing’s crew transportation system and will carry NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to and from the orbiting laboratory. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

"NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on board Starliner spacecraft during a crewed test flight to the International Space Station." — A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft aboard launches from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Wednesday, June 5, 2024, in Florida. NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test is the first launch with astronauts of the Boeing CFT-100 spacecraft and United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. The flight test, which launched at 10:52 a.m. EDT, serves as an end-to-end demonstration of Boeing’s crew transportation system and will carry NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to and from the orbiting laboratory. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Exciting news from the world of space exploration! NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have successfully lifted off on the first crewed flight test aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. Their mission: to travel to the International Space Station (ISS). The launch took place on Wednesday at 10:52 a.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

This significant milestone is part of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test, which aims to validate the Starliner system for future rotational missions to the ISS. The flight test will provide essential data on the Starliner’s transportation system, launch pad, rocket, spacecraft, and in-orbit operations capabilities.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson expressed his excitement about this historic first test flight, stating, “Boeing’s Starliner marks a new chapter of American exploration. Human spaceflight is a daring task – but that’s why it’s worth doing. It’s an exciting time for NASA, our commercial partners, and the future of exploration.”

Throughout the mission, Boeing’s team in Houston will monitor the spacecraft’s automatic maneuvers, ensuring everything goes according to plan. NASA teams will also closely follow the operations at the ISS from their Mission Control Center.

Once the Starliner docks autonomously to the station’s forward-facing port on Thursday at approximately 12:15 p.m., Wilmore and Williams will begin conducting various tests to verify the spacecraft’s performance. They will test the environmental control system, the displays and control system, and maneuver the thrusters, among other tasks.

Upon their safe arrival at the ISS, Wilmore and Williams will join the current Expedition 71 crew, which consists of NASA astronauts Michael Barratt, Matt Dominick, Tracy C. Dyson, and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin, and Oleg Kononenko.

If you’re eager to follow this exciting journey, NASA has provided a schedule of upcoming events for fans to watch:

On Thursday, June 6, coverage will begin at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time. The target docking time is 12:15 p.m., followed by the opening of the hatch at 2 p.m. Welcome remarks will take place at 2:20 p.m.
A post-docking news conference will occur at 3:30 p.m. NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free, Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, Jeff Arend, manager for systems engineering and integration at NASA’s International Space Station Office, and Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager of Boeing’s Commercial Crew Program, will participate in the conference.
On Saturday, June 8, at 8:50 a.m., astronauts Wilmore and Williams will provide a tour of the Starliner spacecraft.
On Monday, June 10, at 11 a.m., Williams will speak to students from Sunita L. Williams Elementary School in Needham, Massachusetts.
Finally, on Tuesday, June 11, at 3:15 p.m., Wilmore will speak to students from Tennessee Tech University.

These events will be covered on NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.

Butch Wilmore, the mission commander, brings extensive experience to the crew. He has already completed two spaceflights and spent a total of 178 days in space. Suni Williams, the spacecraft pilot, has also amassed an impressive track record, with 322 days in space across two missions. She has conducted seven spacewalks and holds more than 3,000 flight hours.

This extraordinary NASA-Boeing collaboration through the Commercial Crew Program demonstrates the agency’s commitment to safe and cost-effective transportation to and from the ISS. Such partnerships pave the way for expanded access to low Earth orbit, enabling more scientific research, commercial opportunities, and ultimately, future missions to the Moon and Mars.

So, get ready to witness history in the making as Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams embark on this crucial mission to the ISS. Let’s cheer them on, support their progress, and celebrate their safe return to Earth! Go Starliner! Go, Butch and Suni!

Learn more about NASA’s Commercial Crew program at:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

https://stmdailynews.com/category/science

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