Boeing Starliner’s First Crewed Test Flight

• 07 May 2024

Source: TH

Recently, an Atlas V rocket is poised to launch with two seasoned astronauts, Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams, aboard the Boeing-built crew capsule called Starliner.

• This marks the capsule’s third test flight and the first with astronauts on board, aiming to transport them to the International Space Station (ISS) in low-earth orbit.
  • If successful, the US will achieve a historic milestone by having two spacecraft capable of launching astronauts into space.
  • Currently, the Dragon spacecraft of SpaceX is the only spacecraft that can return significant cargo to Earth and the first private spacecraft to transport humans to the space station.
• Starliner is a spacecraft that carried astronauts to space, launched by a rocket, featuring a crew capsule for astronaut accommodation, designed for reentry, and a non-reusable service module providing life support and propulsion systems.

Read more: NASA’s Boeing Starliner Spacecraft