Introducing the Pioneers: NASA’s First Astronauts Set To Make History On Boeing’s Starliner Spaceship

(CTN News) – Two NASA astronauts are poised to make history as the first to embark on a space voyage aboard a Boeing spacecraft.

Astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams are scheduled to pilot Boeing’s Starliner capsule on its inaugural crewed test flight to the International Space Station on May 6.

On Thursday, they arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where they will remain until the launch. “This is where the rubber meets the road, where we are going to leave this planet, and that is pretty darn cool,” said Williams during a post-arrival news briefing.

The mission, which has faced numerous delays, will play a crucial role in demonstrating the safety of Boeing’s spacecraft for transporting crews to and from low-Earth orbit.

Success would mark a significant milestone for Boeing, which aims to join SpaceX in conducting regular flights to and from the space station for NASA.

Challenges and Scrutiny Surrounding the Upcoming Starliner Test Flight

The upcoming test flight will be closely monitored due to previous software glitches and issues with the Starliner’s fuel valves, which have significantly delayed the mission.

Boeing’s aviation division has also faced scrutiny following a panel blowout on one of its 737 Max 9 planes earlier this year, prompting concerns about the company’s quality-control procedures.

Wilmore emphasized that the delays preceding this launch were essential to ensure the Starliner capsule’s readiness for human spaceflight.

“We wouldn’t be here if we weren’t ready,” Wilmore affirmed. “We are ready. The spacecraft’s ready, and the teams are ready.”

On Thursday, officials from NASA, Boeing, and United Launch Alliance convened and approved the May 6 liftoff attempt for the Starliner capsule atop the Atlas V rocket.

The following day, the astronauts completed a comprehensive launch-day dress rehearsal. They will now dedicate the next week to final preparations and training exercises, as outlined by NASA.

Upon successfully reaching the International Space Station, the crew will spend approximately a week onboard before returning to Earth.

Both Wilmore and Williams boast extensive experience as veteran astronauts and former test pilots in the U.S. Navy. They were selected by NASA in 2022 for Boeing’s inaugural crewed test flight.

Wilmore, serving as the mission’s commander, has undertaken two prior spaceflights, accumulating 178 days in space.

Hailing from Tennessee, he piloted the space shuttle Atlantis to the space station in 2009 and journeyed to the orbiting outpost via a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in 2014 as part of Expedition 41.

NASA’s Sunita Williams’ Space Missions

Williams, serving as the mission’s pilot, has previously undertaken two missions aboard the International Space Station, accumulating a total of 322 days in space.

Raised in Needham, Massachusetts, Williams embarked on her first journey to the ISS aboard the space shuttle Discovery, where she spent approximately six months.

Subsequently, in 2012, she returned to space aboard a Russian-built Soyuz spacecraft. During her second stint on the space station, she remained in orbit for approximately four months.