Preparing for History: NASA Astronauts to Launch Aboard Boeing Starliner to the International Space Station

Thursday - May 2 2024, 10:30 UTC - 6 months ago

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will become the first crew to launch aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station on Monday, May 6. After completing their mission, Starliner will be certified for regular crew rotation missions to the ISS for NASA.

On Monday, May 6, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will make history as they become the first crew to launch aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station. The duo held a virtual question and answer session with media on May 1, from inside the Astronaut Crew Quarters at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, as they prepare for their historic mission.

"We've been through training and we have our fingerprints on every single procedure that exists for this spacecraft," said Wilmore. "We're fully trained in all aspects of Starliner." .

Wilmore and Williams have been in quarantine inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building since their arrival at the Florida spaceport on April 25. The building, which dates back to the Apollo program, was previously used for missions under the Space Shuttle Program. The crew quarters, located on the third floor, boasts 23 bedrooms each with its own bathroom. The area also includes a suitup room where teams assist astronauts in putting on their spacesuits before heading to the launch pad.

The two astronauts will launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. After a week onboard the ISS, the crew capsule will make a parachute and airbag-assisted landing in the southwestern United States. "We feel very safe and very comfortable when this spacecraft flies," said Williams. "This is where we're supposed to be." .

Following a successful mission, NASA will begin the final process of certifying Starliner and its systems for regular crew rotation missions to the ISS. Designed with a diameter of 15 feet and the capability for autonomous or manual flight, the Starliner will transport four astronauts or a mix of crew and cargo to low Earth orbit on future missions for NASA.

With the launch scheduled for 10:34 p.m. EDT on Monday, May 6, the world will witness a historic milestone as the first astronauts launch to the ISS from U.S. soil in a decade.