Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which will be piloted by Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams, is scheduled to launch between June 1 and June 5. The launch was delayed earlier this month due to a technical issue. Williams, a 58-year-old astronaut, will embark on her third space flight aboard this test flight.
In a statement, NASA announced that mission managers from NASA, Boeing, and ULA (United Launch Alliance) are working together to determine the best path forward for the Boeing Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station (ISS). The teams are aiming for a launch opportunity at 12:25 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, with additional opportunities on Sunday, June 2, Wednesday, June 5, and Thursday, June 6. The statement also mentioned that teams are assessing the performance and redundancy of the Starliner spacecraft following the discovery of a small helium leak in its service module. They are conducting a follow-on propulsion system assessment to understand the potential impacts on Starliner’s return scenarios.
The upcoming launch of Starliner, carrying Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, holds immense significance for the Boeing program. The spacecraft’s development has faced setbacks, and this mission could mark a long-awaited victory for the program. A previous attempt to launch the first crewed test flight for the ISS was postponed on May 6 due to a technical snag.
NASA will conduct a Delta-Agency Flight Test Readiness Review to discuss the progress since the last launch attempt and evaluate issue closure and flight rationale. In preparation for the flight, Williams and Wilmore are practicing in Starliner simulators. The crew, currently in quarantine, will return to NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida closer to the new launch date.
Boeing’s Starliner has been in development for several years, and if successful, it will become the second private company capable of providing crew transport to and from the ISS, alongside Elon Musk’s SpaceX. This has been a long-awaited scenario for NASA, where both SpaceX’s Crew Dragon and Starliner can operate regularly.
The upcoming launch will be Boeing’s second flight to the ISS and the third Starliner flight test overall, following the uncrewed mission known as OFT-2 in May 2022. Boeing also completed a pad abort demonstration in November 2019.
Both SpaceX and Boeing developed their vehicles under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, aiming to have both companies operating simultaneously. The Crew Dragon and Starliner spacecraft serve as backup options, allowing astronauts to continue flying even if one spacecraft faces technical issues or setbacks.
Sunita Williams, born in Euclid, Ohio, to Indian-American neuroanatomist Deepak Pandya and Slovene-American Ursuline Bonnie Pandya, holds a physical science degree from the US Naval Academy and a Master of Science in Engineering Management from Florida Institute of Technology. She received her commission as an Ensign in the United States Navy in May 1987 and was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1998. Williams has been a part of two space missions, serving as a flight engineer on Expedition 32 and commander of Expedition 33. During her time in space, she established a world record for females with four spacewalks totaling 29 hours and 17 minutes..
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