(Image created by NASA)
The company's Starliner capsule, designed in collaboration with NASA to transport humans to and from the International Space Station, is making its first crewed voyage.
For Boeing's Starliner capsule, the third time was a charm as it launched with astronauts on board for the first time ever on Wednesday, beginning a much-anticipated, crucial test journey to the International Space Station.
At 10:52 a.m. ET, the spacecraft took off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and entered orbit atop an Atlas V rocket.
Sunita Williams and Barry "Butch" Wilmore, two seasoned NASA astronauts, comprise the Starliner's first crew. They will travel to the space station for around a day before docking with the orbiting outpost on Thursday at 12:15 p.m. Eastern Time.
There were several delays and technical issues with the Starliner program for years, which included this first crewed flight. The most recent launch attempt was canceled on Saturday with less than 4 minutes left in the countdown. A valve problem with the Atlas V rocket, which is produced by United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, also ended the previous attempt on May 6. Further delays resulted from the discovery of a second helium leak in the Starliner's propulsion system.
With its Crew Dragon capsule, which has been carrying NASA people to the International Space Station since 2020, SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, is a company that Boeing hopes to overtake. In the event that this crewed Starliner mission and landing are successful, Boeing may be able to join SpaceX, providing NASA with an additional choice for regular trips to and from the space station.
As a component of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, both businesses developed their spacecraft. After the agency retired its space shuttles, the effort was started more than ten years ago to assist private companies in developing new spacecraft to carry astronauts to low-Earth orbit.