Boeing's Starliner spacecraft set to launch for the International Space Station on Wednesday.
The first crewed test flight of the troubled Starliner spacecraft is set for Wednesday (10:52 a.m. local time, 16:52 p.m. CEST) at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA. NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Suni Williams are slated to climb aboard the vessel and journey to the International Space Station (ISS). This launch has been delayed several times due to numerous technical complications, and there's even a chance of yet another last-minute postponement.
If all goes as planned, the Starliner will reach its destination on Thursday, where Wilmore and Williams are expected to reside for roughly a week. The Crew Dragon spacecraft, which is currently berthed at the ISS, has been shifted to another docking port to accommodate the Starliner's arrival.
Back in May 2022, the Starliner, constructed by the American aerospace giant Boeing, successfully executed its initial uncrewed mission to the ISS, spending four days there as part of a crucial trial. Intended as an alternative to SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule, the spacecraft is nominally charged with ferrying astronauts to the ISS. Nevertheless, the project is running way behind schedule due to a string of issues.
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After numerous delays and technical complications, the troubled Starliner is set to launch for the International Space Station on Wednesday, with NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Suni Williams aboard. The successful uncrewed mission of the Boeing-built Starliner to the ISS in May 2022 served as a crucial trial, but the project's ongoing issues have caused significant delays in its crewed test flights. Following its arrival, the Crew Dragon spacecraft has been shifted to another docking port to make room for the Starliner.
