[UPDATE: The first launch attempt on Monday, May 6, was scrubbed two hours before liftoff due to an issue with the Atlas V rocket. Two more launch targets — for May 17 and May 21 — have now also been scrapped to give engineers time to fix an issue found on the spacecraft. NASA is now hoping to launch the Starliner on Saturday, May 25. This article has been adjusted to include the new schedule.]
NASA and Boeing Space are making final preparations for the first crewed launch of the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft, with liftoff targeted for Saturday, May 25.
In a highly anticipated mission, a ULA Atlas V rocket will launch the Starliner and NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Read on for the precise launch time and how you can watch a live broadcast of the early stages of the mission.
Wilmore and Williams will stay aboard the space station for about a week to test the Starliner spacecraft and its subsystems before NASA certifies the transportation system for rotational missions to the orbital outpost as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.
NASA started using SpaceX’s Crew Dragon for crewed flights in 2020 and the addition of the Starliner will give the agency more flexibility when it comes to planning crewed flights to the ISS.
The first crewed flight has been a long time coming as the Starliner has faced a number of issues and delays during its development. On its maiden test flight in 2019, the vehicle failed to reach the ISS in a mission that surfaced a slew of technical problems. A second test flight in 2022 managed to dock with the station, though several more issues with the spacecraft had to be addressed following that mission.
Now NASA and Boeing are just about ready to test the spacecraft with astronauts on board.
How to watch
NASA is aiming to launch the Starliner from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 3:09 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 25.
Launch coverage will begin at 11.a.m. ET on the NASA+ streaming channel, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website. You can also watch the broadcast via the video player embedded at the top of this page.
While launch coverage on NASA+ will end shortly after the Starliner reaches orbit, NASA Television will provide coverage of the spacecraft docking with the ISS at 4:12 p.m. ET. The hatch opening will take place at about 6:05 p.m. ET followed by welcoming remarks with the Expedition 71 crew members on the station.
We will update here with any further late changes to the launch schedule, though you may also want to keep an eye on Boeing Space’s social media feed for the very latest news regarding the mission.
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