Boeing Starliner finally heads to space. Photo: Chris Leymarie/FMN
For the first time since 1968, astronauts have been launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, marking the first-ever manned mission from a Space Force installation. On June 5, at precisely 10:52 a.m. EDT, NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams lifted off from Space Launch Complex-41 aboard the Atlas V rocket, commencing the eagerly anticipated Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission.
NASA Prepares for Third Attempt to Launch Boeing Crewed Flight Test
The Boeing Starliner sits atop an Atlas V booster minutes after Saturday’s launch attempt was scrubbed. Photo: Mark Stone/FMN
NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test mission teams are gearing up for another Starliner launch attempt, currently scheduled for 10:52 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 5. With a faulty ground equipment power supply repaired, the launch will take place from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This mission, lasting approximately one week, will see NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Suni Williams aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft heading to the International Space Station (ISS).
The Boeing Starliner sits on the pad on Saturday, June, 1, 2024. The launch was scrubbed for the second time just minutes before liftoff. Photo: Richard Gallagher/FMN
The Boeing Starliner just can’t seem to get off of the pad. The much-publicized second launch attempt of CFT-100 was scrubbed on June 1st when a computer detected an anomaly with less than four minutes left in the countdown. The mission represents Starliner’s first crewed flight test.
Starliner arriving at the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41 on Thursday morning. Photo: Richard Gallagher, Florida Media Now
After three weeks of analysis and discussion between Boeing, NASA, and United Launch Alliance following the May 6, 2024 scrub, Boeing’s long road to lofting crew aboard Starliner to low-Earth orbit took a step towards launching this morning when it was moved to its launch pad. Liftoff of Atlas V and Starliner is scheduled for 12:25 PM EDT, Saturday, June 1st, from Space Launch Complex 41.
Smoke from a wildfire at Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge obscures NASA’s iconic VAB facility. Photo: Charles Boyer/FMN
A lightning strike from a severe thunderstorm started a conflagration in Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge this afternoon. It is north of Kennedy Space Center, and is currently no threat to property or human endeavor — in other words, the facilities at Kennedy Space Center.
In a media release this evening, NASA announced June 1st at 12:25 PM as the next targeted date for a Starliner launch attempt.
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 Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
Mission managers from NASA, Boeing, and ULA (United Launch Alliance) continue to evaluate a path forward toward launching the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station. The teams are now working toward a launch opportunity at 12:25 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 1, with additional opportunities on Sunday, June 2, Wednesday, June 5, and Thursday, June 6.
Boeing’s Starliner remains grounded. Photo: FMN/Mark Stone
Less than a month ago, Starliner seemed like it was ready to go. With a launch date for the first crewed flight test set for May 6th, NASA officials expressed confidence that Starliner was “go for launch”. Following a Flight Readiness Review held just days before the May 6th launch date, NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free said he was satisfied that the Readiness Review was thorough, and that Starliner, Atlas V and ISS were prepared properly for the test flight.
This Story Was Updated at 4:38 PM On 5/9/24 to include a response from NASA.
Boeing’s Starliner sits atop a ULA Atlas V booster hours before a scrubbed launch attempt on Monday, May 6, 2024. Photo: Mark Stone/FMN
“As a valued NASA partner and as valve experts, we strongly urge them not to attempt a second launch due to the risk of a disaster occurring on the launchpad”.
Valvetech President Erin Faville – Wednesday March 8th.
Atlas V and Starliner sits on Launch Complex 41 Monday night. Photo: United Launch Alliance
UPDATE: Several sources are now reporting that Starliner will have to be rolled back from the pad with a new launch date NET May 17th.
Cape Canaveral It was all going well until it wasn’t. That’s often the story with launch attempts: tens of thousands of things must work perfectly, perform as planned, and operate normally, and only one thing has to go wrong for the attempt to be called off.
The Crew Access Arm enables the astronauts to board the spacecraft. Photo by United Launch Alliance
NASA’s Commercial Crew program will take a big step forward on Monday, May 6th with the launch of the Boeing Starliner Calypso’s Crewed Flight Test (CFT-100). Scheduled for a 10:34 PM EDT liftoff, Starliner Calypso will carry its first-ever crew to the ISS on an important test flight. (The spacecraft was named in honor of the research vessel Calypso, used by famed oceanographer Jacques Cousteau from 1950-1996.)
Unoccupied AxEMU lunar EVA suit underwater at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston, Texas. Date unknown. Photo: Axiom Space on X.com
Houston, Texas One of the critical tasks for the upcoming Artemis missions is completing new spacesuits for astronauts to wear while on the lunar surface. The suits are critical, as they must protect astronauts from severe temperatures, the moon’s lack of a meaningful atmosphere, and sharp, jagged lunar regolith. In September 2022, NASA awarded Axiom Space a $228.5 million contract to develop the next-generation spacesuit for the Artemis III mission to the moon.
Astronauts Willmore and William pose for photographs after arriving at the Shuttle Landing Facility in NASA T-38 jet trainer aircraft. Image by Richard P. Gallagher
Kennedy Space Center, FL – Greeted by members of the press, Astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Suni Williams arrived at the KSC Launch and Landing Facility (LLF) formerly known as the ShuttleLanding Facility (SLF) aboard a NASA T-38 jet Thursday afternoon. The two NASA astronauts will be aboard the first crewed launch of the new Boeing Starliner crew module early next month.
Launching atop a ULA Atlas V booster no earlier than May 6th at 10:34 PM EDT, the pair will head to the ISS for a 10-day stay on what will effectively be a “shakedown cruise” for the Starliner. Otherwise known as a flight certification test, a successful flight will see the Starliner routinely used to send astronauts to low Earth orbit.
