After years of delays and setbacks, Boeing plans to launch two veteran astronauts to the International Space Station on Monday night aboard its Starliner spacecraft.

After years of delays, Boeing is finally set to launch two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station on its Starliner spacecraft.

The capsule is scheduled to lift off Monday at 10:34 p.m. ET, atop an Atlas V rocket at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams will pilot the Starliner on its inaugural crewed flight — a crucial final test before NASA can authorize Boeing to conduct routine flights to and from the space station for the agency.

The stakes are high. This will be Boeing’s first launch with humans aboard its spaceship, and it comes after years of delays, technical setbacks and significant budget overruns. If successful, the flight will enable Boeing to challenge the dominance held by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which has been ferrying NASA astronauts to and from the orbiting outpost since 2020.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    15
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    8 months ago

    Astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams will pilot the Starliner on its inaugural crewed flight

    Ah, the ones who failed the psych exam.

        • Clay_pidgin@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          8
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          8 months ago

          Ah. Well they were designed by Lockmart and have had only one major failure AFAIK, so the rocket party is probably fine. Ought to check the door seals on the capsule, though.

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            6
            arrow-down
            4
            ·
            8 months ago

            Rocket, capsule, whatever. That’s not really the point. Boeing made something that could very easily kill them specifically because it was made by Boeing, not because of the risks of space travel.

    • IninewCrow@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      8 months ago

      Gotta be … especially if the chances of your exterior door blowing out at any time is greater than 20% … in space!