Space enthusiasts have exciting news. Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft can now go on its first crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS). This mission, called the Crew Flight Test (CFT), is set for May 6. NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore will be on a 10-day journey in the Starliner capsule.
NASA and Boeing’s flight readiness review (FRR) took two days. They found no serious issues. This means the Crew Flight Test (CFT) can go ahead as scheduled. In a media call, NASA’s Associate Administrator, Jim Free, said they are confident in their work. He confirmed the launch is set for 10:34 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Monday, May 6.
The Launch Place
The launch is set for Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Starliner will be on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. This is the first time a crew will launch on an Atlas V rocket since the Mercury program. That program was in the early 1960s.
This will be the first time Starliner carries a crew, but it’s not its first flight. Its initial uncrewed test in December 2019 had problems just after takeoff and failed to reach the ISS. But, its second try in May 2022 managed to dock with the station successfully.
Getting to the first crewed flight was hard. Before the launch, experts found some problems. There were issues with the parachutes and the tape in the wiring could catch fire. To fix and test these, the launch was moved from July 2023 to mid-April. Then, too many spacecraft at the ISS delayed it again. Now, the plan is to launch on May 6.
There are a few small problems that the launch teams are fixing. However, these are not likely to delay the launch. Steve Stich is the manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. He said they are changing a valve at the launch pad. They are also looking at backup plans for reentry. But these steps should not affect the launch date.
Race for the Private Spacecraft
Boeing’s Starliner will join SpaceX’s Dragon capsule as a private Crewed Mission to ISS. SpaceX has already completed eight operational crewed missions for NASA through their Commercial Crew Program partnership signed in 2014.
In May 2020, the Demo-2 test flight took place. NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurly flew to the ISS. They traveled in SpaceX’s Dragon capsule. Now, Boeing is preparing for its first crewed flight. This means we can expect exciting new developments in space exploration.
Sources: Yahoo! News, NASA
