Following numerous delays, Boeing is at last poised to send two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station aboard its Starliner spacecraft.
The launch is slated for Monday at 10:34 p.m. ET, with liftoff from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station atop an Atlas V rocket. Astronauts
Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams will command
the Starliner on its debut crewed journey — a pivotal final trial before NASA grants Boeing authorization for routine voyages to and from the space station.
The stakes couldn't be higher. This marks Boeing’s maiden manned launch, following years of postponements, technical hitches, and substantial budget overruns. Success would position Boeing to challenge the dominance of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which has been shuttling NASA astronauts to and from the space station
since 2020.
Both companies developed their spacecraft under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, initiated after the retirement of the space shuttle fleet in 2011. The objective: stimulate and financially support the development of new commercially crafted vehicles capable of traveling to and from low-Earth orbit.
During a preflight briefing last week, Wilmore emphasized safety as paramount. Previous attempts to launch the Starliner, both unmanned and manned, were postponed because the capsule simply wasn’t ready until now.
“Why do we believe it’s as safe as possible? We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t,” Wilmore told reporters.
Nevertheless, any new spacecraft or rocket carries inherent risks.
“Do we anticipate flawless performance? This marks the debut human flight of the spacecraft,” Wilmore stated. “We're bound to encounter lessons. That’s the essence of test flights.”
The plan entails the astronauts docking with the space station the following day, spending about a week there, and then returning to Earth, touching down at Starliner’s main landing site in New Mexico’s White Sands Missile Range.
While NASA astronauts have been flying aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft for years, the agency is keen on having multiple options, said Makena Young, a fellow with the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.
“Having that second choice is crucial for redundancy and resilience,” Young remarked. “In space systems, redundancies are essential, because if something goes wrong, backups are vital.”
“Achieving a successful launch will be a vital testament to [Boeing’s] capabilities,” she said. “It will demonstrate their reliability in executing challenging missions and sustaining innovation.”
Young emphasized that Boeing’s struggles in reaching this point underscore the formidable nature of human spaceflight.
“We tend to overlook, because of decades of experience, how challenging space exploration still is,” she remarked. “Successfully launching is no easy feat.”
Williams expressed confidence in the Starliner program and their upcoming mission.
“We have complete faith in this spacecraft and our mission,” Williams told reporters earlier this week. “This is where we belong.”
