Month: May 2024

NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test Targets No Earlier than Friday, May 10

After the first launch attempt of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test, a news conference is held on Monday, May 6, 2024 at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program, the first crewed launch to the International Space Station aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station was targeted for 10:34 p.m. ET but scrubbed for the day.  Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

NASA, Boeing, and ULA (United Launch Alliance) are targeting no earlier than Friday, May 10, for launch of the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station, pending resolution of the technical issue that prevented the May 6 launch attempt.

The delay allows teams to complete data analysis on a pressure regulation valve on the liquid oxygen tank of the Atlas V rocket ‘s Centaur upper stage and determine whether it is necessary to replace the valve.

Mission managers discussed the details that led to the decision during a news conference Monday night at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

Following the scrub, NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams exited the Starliner spacecraft and launch pad at Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida and returned to the astronaut crew quarters at Kennedy. ULA, as per the normal recycle process, also removed liquid oxygen and hydrogen from the Atlas V first and second stages.

Learn about the crew flight test by following the mission blog, the commercial crew blog, @commercial crew on X, and commercial crew on Facebook. Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

NASA, Boeing to Update Media on Starliner Crew Flight Test Tonight

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft aboard is seen on the launch pad at Space Launch Complex-41  on Sunday, May 5, 2024 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Photo Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

NASA, Boeing, and United Launch Alliance will host a news conference at 10:30 p.m. EDT to discuss Monday’s scrubbed launch attempt of the agency’s Crew Flight Test due to a faulty oxygen relief valve observation on the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket Centaur second stage. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams exited the Starliner spacecraft at Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida and returned to astronaut crew quarters.

NASA will provide news conference coverage on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.

The following will participate in the news conference:

  • Ken Bowersox, associate administrator, NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate
  • Steve Stich, manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
  • Dana Weigel, manager, International Space Station Program at NASA
  • Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager, Commercial Crew Program, Boeing
  • Tory Bruno, president and CEO, United Launch Alliance

Learn more about NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test by following the mission blog, the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on X, and commercial crew on Facebook.

NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test Scrubbed

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft atop the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is seen on the launch pad of Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Monday, May 6, 2024. Photo credit: NASA

NASA, Boeing, and United Launch Alliance scrubbed the launch opportunity on Monday, May 6 for the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station due to a faulty oxygen relief valve observation on the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket Centaur second stage.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams exited the Starliner spacecraft at Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida and will return to astronaut crew quarters.

NASA’s coverage continues on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media.

Learn more about NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test by following the mission blog, the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on X, and commercial crew on Facebook.

Meet the NASA Boeing Crew Flight Test Astronauts

NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Suni Williams (left) and Butch Wilmore (right) pose for photo ahead of May 6 flight to the International Space Station
The official crew portrait for NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test. Left is Suni Williams, who will serve as the pilot, and to the right is Barry “Butch” Wilmore, spacecraft commander.

Let’s get to know the two NASA astronauts flying Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft for the first time as part of the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test mission.

Butch Wilmore is the commander of tonight’s mission. Previously, he was a fighter pilot, U.S. Navy captain, and completed two other spaceflights for Expedition 41 in 2014 and for STS-129 for space shuttle Atlantis in 2009. Wilmore has logged 178 days in space. He was selected as an astronaut by NASA in July 2000.

Outside of his current mission, he serves as pastor and leads weekly Bible studies and participates in mission trips throughout South and Central America to assist medical professionals.

Wilmore grew up in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. He earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in electrical engineering from Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, before graduating with another master’s degree in aviation systems from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is also a graduate of the United States Naval Test Pilot School, Patuxent River, Maryland. He is married and has two children.

Suni Williams is the pilot of the Starliner spacecraft and is the first woman to fly on the first flight of a crewed spacecraft. She is also a retired U.S. Navy captain and completed two spaceflight missions – Expeditions 14/15 in 2006 and 32/33 in 2012. Williams has logged 322 days in space. She became a NASA astronaut in 1998.

While not training for NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test, Williams spends time with her two rescue Labrador retrievers, Gunner and Rotor. She plans to bring their dogs tags to the space station while on the week-long mission.

Williams graduated with her bachelor’s degree in physical science from the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, before obtaining her master’s degree in engineering management from the Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne. In total, she has logged more than 3,000 flight hours in over 30 different aircraft.

Williams grew up in Needham, Massachusetts. She is married and enjoys working on cars, homes, and airplanes.

Liftoff remains on schedule for 10:34 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Learn more about NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test by following the mission blog, the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on X, and commercial crew on Facebook.

NASA’s Boeing Crew Arrives at Launch Site, Climbs into Capsule

NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore climbs into Boeing Starliner capsule. Photo credit: NASA

We’re about three hours away from NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams heading to the International Space Station.

Wilmore and Williams just arrived at the crew access tower at Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida and will soon head into the White Room. The environmentally controlled chamber at the outer end of the access arm platform is where astronauts prepare to enter Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.

While in the White Room, the crew will make any last-minute adjustments before launch. Technicians also will complete a series of checkouts before Wilmore enters the capsule, followed by Williams.

The Starliner capsule is set to launch at 10:34 p.m. EDT on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

Follow the space station blog for the most up-to-date operations as launch milestones occur. Watch NASA’s mission coverage on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media.

NASA Astronauts Suited Up, Head to Launch Pad

NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams walk out of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building on Monday, May 6, 2024, at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo credit: NASA

NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore, commander, and Suni Williams, pilot, are suited up and on their way to the launch pad for tonight’s launch.

The duo spent about an hour putting on their suits and completing suit leak checks inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

After departing the building, Wilmore and Williams waved to family and friends waiting outside before loading into Boeing’s Astrovan.

“Let’s fly” Wilmore said.

The nine-mile drive will take the astronauts to the launch pad at nearby Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Wilmore and Williams are the first crew to fly aboard Boeing’s Starliner as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Liftoff to the International Space Station is scheduled for 10:34 p.m. EDT. The crew is expected to arrive at the orbiting laboratory for rendezvous and docking at 12:46 a.m. Wednesday, May 8.

Wilmore and Williams will spend about a week at the space station before the crew capsule makes a parachute and airbag-assisted landing in the southwestern United States.

Once the flight test is complete, NASA will begin the final process of certifying Starliner and its systems for regular human spaceflight launches.

Learn more about NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test by following the mission blog, the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on X, and commercial crew on Facebook.

NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test Key Launch Milestones

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft atop the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is seen on the launch pad of Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Monday, May 6, 2024, ahead of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test. Photo credit: NASA

In less than four hours, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are set to lift off at 10:34 p.m. EDT aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

As part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program, the mission is the first crewed flight for the Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station.

Here is a look at some key milestones leading up to tonight’s launch:

Time                   Event (All times approximate)
6:26 p.m.          Flight crew begins suit-up operations
7:04 p.m.          Crew walkout from the Neil A. Armstrong Operations & Checkout Building
7:14 p.m.           Crew departs, travels to Space Launch Complex-41
7:39 p.m.           Crew arrives at pad, ascends tower, enters white room, and enters Starliner capsule separately
8:57 p.m.           Crew inside Starliner capsule complete
9:24 p.m.          Hatch closure and leak checks
9:32 p.m.           Hatch closure complete
9:44 p.m.          Configure White Room for launch
10:09 p.m.        Clear for launch check
10:23 p.m.         Crew access arm retracts
10:34 p.m.         Liftoff!
10:35 p.m.         ULA rocket reaches MaxQ
10:40 p.m.        Atlas V booster separates
10:48 p.m.        Boeing Starliner separates
11:05 p.m.         Orbital insertion burn

Starliner will autonomously dock to the station on Wednesday, May 8, and remain at the orbital laboratory for about a week. Although Starliner is designed to dock autonomously, the astronauts aboard the spacecraft will demonstrate manual control processes and capabilities before the spacecraft makes its automated final approach.

Stay tuned for more updates on this blog as the countdown to launch continues.

NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test Astronauts Suiting Up

NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams perform checks of their Boeing spacesuits in the crew suit-up room inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, May 6, 2024. Photo credit: NASA

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are being outfitted in their Boeing spacesuits inside the crew suit-up room at the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida as preparations continue for the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test.

The Boeing Starliner suits are specifically tailored for tonight’s launch.

  • The blue suits are lighter and more flexible than previous spacesuits, with advanced materials and featuring zippers at the elbows and knees, which enables flexibility when the astronauts are standing or seated.
  • The helmet and visor are attached to the suit instead of detachable.
  • Touchscreen-sensitive gloves
  • Suit has vents but can still pressurize immediately.
A graphic displaying Boeing’s spacesuit for Starliner astronauts. Photo credit: NASA/Boeing

The full suit, which includes shoes and accessories, weighs about 20 pounds – close to 10 pounds lighter than suits worn by space shuttle astronauts.

NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronaut Butch Wilmore participates in a traditional game of cards after suit-up and final fit checks inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, May 6, 2024

Once suited, Wilmore and Williams play the ritual card game that occurs before any human spaceflight mission launching from the Florida spaceport. The point of the game is that the commander must use up all his or her bad luck before the launch, so the crew can only leave for the pad when the commander loses.

Launch is scheduled for 10:34 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-41 at nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

NASA’s mission coverage begins in just under 30 minutes at 6:30 p.m. on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media.

Watch Live: NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test Coverage Underway

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft atop the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is seen on the launch pad of Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Monday, May 6, 2024, ahead of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test. Photo credit: NASA

NASA’s coverage of the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test is underway on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media.

For the first time, Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft will send two of the agency’s astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Butch Wilmore, commander, and Suni Williams, pilot, will launch aboard Starliner on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket for a 10:34 p.m. EDT launch from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The crew flight test is Boeing’s second flight to the International Space Station and third Starliner flight test overall, following Orbital Flight Test-2, an uncrewed mission in May 2022, and Orbital Flight Test, an uncrewed mission in December 2019.

Follow the space station blog for the most up-to-date operations as launch milestones occur. Learn more about NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test by following the mission blog, the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on X, and commercial crew on Facebook.

NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test: Atlas V Fueling Underway

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft atop the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket rolls out from the Vertical Integration Facility to the launch pad of Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Saturday, May 4, 2024, ahead of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test. Photo credit: NASA/Glenn Benson

Following a poll for fueling by NASA, Boeing, and United Launch Alliance, the Atlas V rocket now is being filled with liquid oxygen in the first stage and a combination of liquid oxygen and hydrogen in the Centaur upper stage. RP-1, a rocket-grade kerosene, was loaded into the first stage previously. The rocket will launch NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams aboard the Starliner spacecraft at 10:34 p.m. EDT Monday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida to the International Space Station.

The U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron continues to predict a 95% chance of favorable weather conditions for launch, with the cumulus cloud rule being the primary weather concern.

NASA astronauts Wilmore and Williams are the first to launch aboard Starliner to the space station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA will provide live coverage of the launch, beginning at 6:30 p.m. on May 6, on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media.

L-6:00:00 Atlas V cryo load
L-4:00:00 Atlas V cryo load complete / stable configuration
L-4:30:00 Crew suit-up begins
L-4:04:00 T-4 minute hold begins
L-3:20:00 Crew suit-up complete / departs for launch pad
L-3:10:00 Crew Module preps begin
L-2:50:00 Crew arrives for insertion
L-1:20:00 Hatch closure complete
L-0:50:00 Cabin leak checks / cabin pressurization complete
L-0:35:00 Crew space to ground communication checks
L-0:22:00 Flight Director Poll: Go for terminal count
L-0:20:00 Crew visors configured for launch
L-0:18:00 Starliner poll for terminal count
L-0:18:00 Starliner to internal power
L-0:11:00 Crew access arm retracted
L-0:07:00 Atlas V launch vehicle poll for terminal count
L-0:07:00 Starliner configured for terminal count
L-0:05:00 Starliner configured for ascent
L-0:04:00 T-4 minute hold releases
L-0:00:00 Atlas V / Starliner crew launch

The astronauts will spend about a week aboard the orbiting laboratory before returning to Earth and making a parachute and airbag-assisted landing in the southwestern United States.

After successful completion of the mission, NASA will begin the final process of certifying Starliner and its systems for crewed rotation missions to the space station. The Starliner capsule, with a diameter of 15 feet (4.56 meters) and the capability to steer automatically or manually, will carry four astronauts, or a mix of crew and cargo, for NASA missions to low Earth orbit.

Learn more about NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test by following the mission blog, the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on X, and commercial crew on Facebook.