Countdown To Inaugural Crewed Mission

Test Drive: Boeing's Starliner Spacecraft Poised for Liftoff

Countdown to Inaugural Crewed Mission

Targeting Wednesday Launch

Cape Canaveral, Florida

Boeing's highly anticipated Starliner spacecraft is on schedule for its inaugural crewed launch on Wednesday, following the resolution of a recent computer issue. The mission, dubbed Starliner-1, marks a crucial milestone in the company's quest to establish a reliable and reusable human transportation system for NASA.

The countdown to liftoff began 45 days ago with the assembly of the Atlas V rocket at Space Launch Complex 41 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Starliner spacecraft was subsequently mated to the rocket last week, and final preparations are now underway.

The launch is scheduled for 12:25 p.m. EST on Wednesday, pending favorable weather conditions. The mission will carry two NASA astronauts, Mike Fincke and Nicole Mann, on a week-long trip to the International Space Station (ISS).

The Starliner-1 mission is a significant step forward for Boeing's commercial crew program, which aims to provide NASA with a reliable and cost-effective means of transporting astronauts to and from the ISS. The mission will also pave the way for future crewed missions to the Moon and Mars.