Boeing finally launches Starliner capsule to space

Boeing’s Starliner capsule launched its first successful crewed spaceflight mission yesterday.

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are aboard the Starliner that took off at 10:52 a.m. ET from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The spacecraft is expected to dock with the International Space Station about 25 hours after the launch.

It will be at the ISS for a week for testing before returning to Earth on June 14. This mission aims to certify Starliner for NASA astronaut transport to and from the ISS.

The launch followed multiple delays, including a last-minute computer issue and a previous problem with the rocket’s valve. A helium leak in the Starliner’s propulsion system was identified before launch but deemed not to be a safety issue.

The mission is crucial for Boeing, which lags behind SpaceX in commercial space transportation. Almost 10 years ago, Boeing and SpaceX received contracts from NASA worth $6.8 billion to take astronauts to space. While Elon Musk’s company has been flying NASA astronauts to the ISS since 2020, Boeing ran into issues like budget overruns and delayed its first launch for seven years.

If the mission is successful through landing, it could give NASA a second option apart from SpaceX to shuttle flights between the space station and the earth.