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June 1 targeted for Starliner test flight
Officials with NASA, Boeing, and United Launch Alliance (ULA) are analyzing what issues caused several Starliner test scrubs in May.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA and Boeing teams have given the green light to proceed with the launch of the Boeing Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station, scheduled for early Saturday afternoon after a few scrubs and postponements.
A prelaunch news conference is scheduled for 1 p.m. EDT on Friday at Kennedy’s press auditorium, featuring NASA leaders, Boeing, and ULA partners. FOX 35 will have a crew at the press conference.
Upon the successful culmination of the mission, NASA will commence the final certification process for Starliner and its systems, paving the way for crewed rotation missions to the space station.
According to Boeing, this launch will demonstrate the Starliner's launch-to-landing capabilities and "prove the team’s readiness to achieve NASA certification and fly long-duration missions for the agency."
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft aboard is seen on the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41 ahead of the NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test, Sunday, May 5, 2024 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in F …
When is the Atlas V Starliner Crew Flight Test launch?
ULA's Atlas V rocket launching Boeing's Crew Space Transportation Starliner spacecraft with two astronauts is scheduled to launch on Saturday, June 1 at 12:25 p.m. from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Who are the astronauts on the Crew Flight Test launch?
Astronauts Sunita "Suni" Williams, 58, and Barry "Butch" Wilmore, 61, are both retired Navy captains going to space for the third time.
Williams spent 322 days on the International Space Station. She was a Navy test pilot and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and Florida Tech.
Wilmore piloted the space shuttle mission STS-129 and commanded Expedition 42 on the International Space Station. He was a Navy officer and pilot and graduated from Tennessee Tech and the University of Tennessee.
CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA - MAY 06: NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test Commander Butch Wilmore (L) and Pilot Suni Williams walk out of the Operations and Checkout Building on May 06, 2024 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The astronauts are heading to Boeing’s S …
As the CFT crew, the astronauts will test Starliner's capability to certify the spacecraft for future astronaut missions. As former Navy test pilots, both astronauts say it is an honor.
Click here to learn more about the crew.
Where can you see the Crew Flight Test rocket?
ULA shared a visibility map of where you can see the Crew Flight Test launch along the eastern seaboard of the U.S.
It'll be visible from the Orlando area about 90 seconds after the launch, according to the visibility map.
Click here for more information about the launch.