Boeing set to launch astronauts to ISS

Boeing will attempt its first crewed test flight of its Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) tonight as part of a NASA deal signed a decade ago. The reusable capsule, boosted by an Atlas V rocket, will take off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore.

It aims for an autonomous docking with the ISS and will return to Earth a week later.

A critical test
Boeing has recently been in the news over its quality control issues since a door plug of an Alaska Airlines 737 Max plane blew out in early January, prompting a criminal investigation by the Justice Department.

The aerospace giant is looking at the NASA mission to prove that it values safety by shuttling people into orbit.

Monday’s launch also marks a critical test of the company’s readiness for NASA missions—especially considering that the Starliner has faced significant delays due to hardware and software challenges, resulting in $1.4 billion in losses for Boeing.

For NASA, a successful mission is critical as the space agency wants to reduce its dependency on SpaceX. The space agency believes multiple space transport providers are crucial for mitigating risks.

In 2014, NASA awarded up to $6.8 billion in contracts to Boeing and SpaceX. Since then, the Elon Musk company has flown multiple missions for the space agency.

However, Boeing faced multiple issues ranging from software and communication system glitches to valve and parachute malfunctions.

Through the mission, the manufacturer hopes to gain a foothold in the space transportation market, which relies heavily on SpaceX currently.