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 Saturday, June 1, 2024. Photo credit: NASA Television
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are being outfitted in their Boeing spacesuits inside the crew suit-up roomat 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 this launch and are 40% lighter than previous spacesuits worn by NASA astronauts.
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 launch pad when the commander loses.
Lift off is scheduled for 12:25 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-41 at nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
NASA’s mission coverage 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.
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft aboard is seen at sunrise on the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41 ahead of the NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Saturday, June 1, 2024. Photo Credit: NASA Television
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.
For the first time in history, 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 ULA (United Launch Alliance) Atlas V rocket at 12:25 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Launch weather officers with the U.S. Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron predict a 90% chance of favorable weather conditions, with onshore winds and the cumulus cloud rule being the primary weather concerns at the launch pad for a liftoff, scheduled for 12:25 p.m. EDT.
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.
Today’s launch makes history in several ways. Williams is the first female astronaut to fly on the first flight of a crewed spacecraft. It also marks the first crewed launch on the ULA Atlas V rocket, and the first crewed launch on an Atlas-family class rocket since Gordon Cooper on the last Mercury program flight aboard “Faith 7” in May 1963.
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 Thursday, May 30, 2024, ahead of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test. As part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are the first to launch to the International Space Station aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. Liftoff is scheduled for 12:25 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 1. Photo credit: NASA/Isaac Watson
Prelaunch operations continue ahead of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test launch. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are ready, and the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, attached on the ULA (United Launch Alliance) Atlas V rocket, rolled out to the launch pad at Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on May 30.
NASA, Boeing, and ULA will hold a prelaunch briefing at 1 p.m. EDT, May 31, to answer questions from the media ahead of liftoff.
The briefing participants include:
NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free
Steve Stich, manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
Dana Weigel, manager, NASA’s International Space Station Program
NASA astronaut Mike Fincke
Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager, Commercial Crew Program, Boeing
Gary Wentz, vice president, Government and Commercial Programs, ULA
Mark Burger, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Coverage of the briefing will air live 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.
Launch of the ULA Atlas V rocket and Boeing Starliner spacecraft is targeted for 12:25 p.m. June 1. Starliner will carry Wilmore and Williams on a 25-hour journey to the International Space Station before docking to the forward-facing port of the orbiting laboratory’s Harmony module.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams arrive back at the Launch and Landing Facility at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, ahead of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test. The first launch attempt on May 6 was scrubbed. As part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program, Wilmore and Williams are the first to 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. Liftoff is scheduled for 12:25 p.m. EDT on Saturday, June 1. Photo credit: NASA/Cory S. Huston
NASA and Boeing teams polled “go” to proceed with plans to launch the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station at 12:25 p.m. EDT Saturday, June 1. During a Delta-Agency Flight Test Readiness Review Wednesday at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, leaders from NASA, Boeing, and ULA (United Launch Alliance) verified launch readiness, including all systems, facilities, and teams supporting the test flight.
A backup launch opportunity is available on Sunday, June 2, with additional launch windows on Wednesday, June 5, and Thursday, June 6.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams returned to Kennedy on May 28, and will remain in quarantine at the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building until Saturday’s launch. The crew previously quarantined in Houston while mission teams worked to resolve various items with the rocket and spacecraft since scrubbing an initial launch attempt on May 6.
Next up, NASA leaders, along with Boeing and ULA partners, will hold a prelaunch news conference at 1 p.m. EDT Friday, May 31, at Kennedy’s press auditorium.
Liftoff of the Atlas V rocket and Starliner spacecraft will occur from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The Crew Flight Test will send Wilmore and Williams to the orbiting laboratory for about a week before returning to Earth aboard the reusable crew capsule, which will make a parachute- and- airbag-assisted landing in the southwestern United States.
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 ULA (United Launch Alliance) will discuss updates regarding ongoing work for the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test, which will send NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Stationon Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
At 11 a.m. EDT, NASA will host a media teleconference with the following participants:
Jim Free, NASA associate administrator
Ken Bowersox, associate administrator, NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate
Steve Stich, manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
Dana Weigel, manager, NASA’s International Space Station Program
Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager, Boeing Commercial Crew Program
Gary Wentz, vice president, Government and Commercial Programs, ULA
Audio of the teleconference will stream live on the agency’s website.
NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test scrubbed on Monday, May 6, when ULA discovered a faulty pressure regulation valve on the liquid oxygen tank of the Atlas V rocket’s Centaur upper stage. Tests have been conducted and the valve has been replaced.
Work continues to assess Starliner performance and redundancy following the discovery of a small helium leak in the spacecraft’s service module. As part of this work, and unrelated to the current leak which remains stable, teams are in the process of completing a follow-on propulsion system assessment to understand potential helium system impacts on some Starliner return scenarios.
Liftoff is scheduled for no earlier than 12:25 p.m. Saturday, June 1, from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Wilmore and Williams remain in preflight quarantine at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. While there, they have participated in various exercises using Starliner simulators to prepare for flight. The duo will be the first to launch aboard Boeing’s Starliner on an Atlas V rocket, spending about a week at the orbiting laboratory before 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.
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft aboard is seen on the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41 ahead of the NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test, Sunday, May 5, 2024 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
Mission managers from NASA, Boeing, and ULA (United Launch Alliance) continue to evaluate a path forward toward launching the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station. The teams are now working toward a launch opportunity at 12:25 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 1, with additional opportunities on Sunday, June 2, Wednesday, June 5, and Thursday, June 6.
Work continues to assess Starliner performance and redundancy following the discovery of a small helium leak in the spacecraft’s service module. As part of this work, and unrelated to the current leak which remains stable, teams are in the process of completing a follow-on propulsion system assessment to understand potential helium system impacts on some Starliner return scenarios. NASA also will conduct a Delta-Agency Flight Test Readiness Review to discuss the work that was performed since the last CFT launch attempt on May 6, and to evaluate issue closure and flight rationale ahead of the next attempt, as part of NASA’s process for assessing readiness. The date of the upcoming Flight Test Readiness Review is under consideration and will be announced once selected.
“There has been a great deal of exceptional analysis and testing over the last two weeks by the joint NASA, Boeing, and ULA teams to replace the Centaur Self Regulating Valve and troubleshoot the Starliner Service Module helium manifold leak,” said Steve Stich, manager, NASA Commercial Crew Program. “It has been important that we take our time to understand all the complexities of each issue including the redundant capabilities of the Starliner propulsion system and any implications to our Interim Human Rating Certification. We will launch Butch and Suni on this test mission after the entire community has reviewed the teams’ progress and flight rationale at the upcoming Delta Agency Flight Test Readiness Review.”
NASA, Boeing, and ULA officials will provide insight into the next targeted launch opportunity and updates regarding ongoing work during a media teleconference at 11 a.m. EDT Friday, May 24. NASA expects to issue a media advisory Thursday, May 23, with additional details for the call and how to participate.
Meanwhile, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams continue practicing in Starliner simulators to prepare for flight. The crew remains quarantined and will fly back to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida closer to the new launch date.
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft aboard is seen as it is rolled out of the Vertical Integration Facility to the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41 ahead of the NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test, Saturday, May 4, 2024 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Photo credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
NASA, Boeing, and ULA (United Launch Alliance) teams continue working remaining open tasks in preparation for the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station. The teams now are targeting a launch date of no earlier than 4:43 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, May 21, to complete additional testing.
On May 11, the ULA team successfully replaced a pressure regulation valve on the liquid oxygen tank on the Atlas V rocket’s Centaur upper stage. The team also performed re-pressurization and system purges, and tested the new valve, which performed normally.
Starliner teams are working to resolve a small helium leak detected in the spacecraft’s service module traced to a flange on a single reaction control system thruster. Helium is used in spacecraft thruster systems to allow the thrusters to fire and is not combustible or toxic.
NASA and Boeing are developing spacecraft testing and operational solutions to address the issue. As a part of the testing, Boeing will bring the propulsion system up to flight pressurization just as it does prior to launch, and then allow the helium system to vent naturally to validate existing data and strengthen flight rationale. Mission teams also completed a thorough review of the data from the May 6 launch attempt and are not tracking any other issues.
The Atlas V and Starliner remain in the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, still in preflight quarantine, returned to Houston on May 10 to spend extra time with their families as prelaunch operations progress. The duo will fly back to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in the coming days.
Wilmore and Williams are the first to launch aboard Boeing’s Starliner to the space station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. The astronauts will spend about a week at 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.
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft atop illuminated by spotlights on the launch pad of Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida is photographed ahead of the NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test, the first Starliner mission to send astronauts to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Photo credit: NASA/ Joel Kowsky
NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test now is targeted to launch no earlier than 6:16 p.m. EDT Friday, May 17, to the International Space Station. Following a thorough data review completed on Tuesday, ULA (United Launch Alliance) decided to replace a pressure regulation valve on the liquid oxygen tank on the Atlas V rocket’s Centaur upper stage.
ULA plans to roll the rocket, with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, back to its Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Wednesday, May 8, to begin the replacement. The ULA team will perform leak checks and functional checkouts in support of the next launch attempt.
The oscillating behavior of the valve during prelaunch operations, ultimately resulted in mission teams calling a launch scrub on May 6. After the ground crews and astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams safely exited from Space Launch Complex-41, the ULA team successfully commanded the valve closed and the oscillations were temporarily dampened. The oscillations then re-occurred twice during fuel removal operations. After evaluating the valve history, data signatures from the launch attempt, and assessing the risks relative to continued use, the ULA team determined the valve exceeded its qualification and mission managers agreed to remove and replace the valve.
Mission managers discussed the details leading to the decision to scrub the May 6 launch opportunity during a news conference shortly after the scrub call at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Wilmore and Williams will remain in crew quarters at NASA Kennedy in quarantine until the next launch opportunity. The duo will be the first to launch aboard Starliner to the space station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeing’s spacecraft aboard is seen on the launch pad at Space Launch Complex-41 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 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
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.
