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NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are safely in orbit on the first crewed flight test aboard Boeing\u2019s Starliner spacecraft bound for the International Space Station.<\/p>\n
As part of NASA\u2019s Boeing Crew Flight Test, the astronauts lifted off at 10:52 a.m. EDT Wednesday on a ULA (United Launch Alliance) Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on an end-to-end test of the Starliner system.<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo bold NASA astronauts are well on their way on this historic first test flight of a brand-new spacecraft,\u201d said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. \u201cBoeing\u2019s Starliner marks a new chapter of American exploration. Human spaceflight is a daring task \u2013 but that\u2019s why it\u2019s worth doing. It\u2019s an exciting time for NASA, our commercial partners, and the future of exploration. Go Starliner, Go Butch and Suni!\u201d<\/p>\n
As part of NASA\u2019s Commercial Crew Program, the flight test will help validate the transportation system, launch pad, rocket, spacecraft, in-orbit operations capabilities, and return to Earth with astronauts aboard as the agency prepares to certify Starliner for rotational missions to the space station. Starliner previously flew two uncrewed orbital flights, including a test to and from the space station, along with a pad abort demonstration.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith Starliner\u2019s launch, separation from the rocket, and arrival on orbit, Boeing\u2019s Crew Flight Test is right on track,\u201d said Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager of Boeing\u2019s Commercial Crew Program. \u201cEveryone is focused on giving Suni and Butch a safe, comfortable, ride and performing a successful test mission from start to finish.\u201d<\/p>\n
During Starliner\u2019s flight, Boeing will monitor a series of automatic spacecraft maneuvers from its mission control center in Houston. NASA teams will monitor space station operations throughout the flight from the Mission Control Center at the agency\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston.<\/p>\n
\u201cFlying crew on Starliner represents over a decade of work by the Commercial Crew Program and our partners at Boeing and ULA,\u201d said Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston. \u201cFor many of us, this is a career-defining moment bringing on a new crew transportation capability for our agency and our nation. We are going to take it one step at a time, putting Starliner through its paces, and remaining vigilant until Butch and Suni safely touch down back on Earth at the conclusion of this test flight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Starliner will autonomously dock to the forward-facing port of the station\u2019s Harmony module at approximately 12:15 p.m. Thursday, June 6, and remain at the orbital laboratory for about a week.<\/p>\n
Wilmore and Williams will help verify the spacecraft is performing as intended by testing the environmental control system, the displays and control system, and by maneuvering the thrusters, among other tests during flight.<\/p>\n
After a safe arrival at the space station, Wilmore and Williams will join the Expedition 71 crew of NASA astronauts Michael Barratt, Matt Dominick, Tracy C. Dyson, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin, and Oleg Kononenko.<\/p>\n
NASA\u2019s arrival and in-flight event coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):<\/p>\n
Mission coverage will continue on NASA Television channels throughout Starliner\u2019s flight and resume on NASA+ prior to docking.<\/p>\n
Thursday, June 6<\/strong> 12:15 p.m. \u2013 Targeted docking<\/p>\n 2 p.m. \u2013 Hatch opening<\/p>\n 2:20 p.m. \u2013 Welcome remarks<\/p>\n 3:30 p.m. \u2013 Post-docking news conference at NASA Johnson with the following participants:<\/p>\n Coverage of the post-docking news conference will air live on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency\u2019s website.<\/p>\n 5:50 p.m. \u2013 NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, Associate Administrator Jim Free, Associate Administrator for Space Operations Ken Bowersox, and Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche will speak with Wilmore and Williams about their launch aboard the Starliner spacecraft.<\/p>\n Coverage of the Earth to space call will air live on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency\u2019s website.<\/p>\n Saturday, June 8<\/strong><\/p>\n 8:50 a.m. \u2013 NASA astronauts Wilmore and Williams will provide a tour of Starliner.<\/p>\n Coverage of the in-orbit event will stream live on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency\u2019s website.<\/p>\n Monday, June 10<\/strong><\/p>\n 11 a.m. \u2013 Williams will speak to students from Sunita L. Williams Elementary School in Needham, Massachusetts, in an event aboard the space station.<\/p>\n Coverage of the Earth to space call will air live on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency\u2019s website.<\/p>\n Tuesday, June 11<\/strong><\/p>\n 3:15 p.m. \u2013 Wilmore will speak to students from Tennessee Tech University in an event aboard the space station.<\/p>\n Coverage of the Earth to space call will air live on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency\u2019s website.<\/p>\n Meet NASA\u2019s Crew<\/strong><\/p>\n Wilmore is the commander for the mission. A veteran of two spaceflights, Wilmore has 178 days in space under his belt. In 2009, he served as a pilot aboard space shuttle Atlantis for the STS-129 mission. Additionally, Wilmore served as a flight engineer for Expedition 41 until November 2014, when he assumed command of the space station after arrival of the Expedition 42 crew. He returned to Earth the following March. Prior to his selection by NASA in 2000, the father of two obtained both his bachelor\u2019s degree and master\u2019s degree in Electrical Engineering from Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, before graduating with another master\u2019s 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, and has completed four operational deployments during his tenure as a fleet naval officer and aviator.<\/p>\n Williams is the spacecraft pilot for the flight test. Williams has spent 322 days in space across two missions: Expedition 14\/15 in 2006 through 2007, and Expedition 32\/33 in 2012. The Massachusetts native also conducted seven spacewalks, totaling 50 hours and 40 minutes. Before her career began with NASA in 1998, Williams graduated with her bachelor\u2019s degree in Physical Science from the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, before obtaining her master\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n NASA\u2019s Commercial Crew Program has delivered on its goal of safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station from the United States through a partnership with American private industry. This partnership is changing the arc of human spaceflight history by opening access to low Earth orbit and the space station to more people, science, and commercial opportunities. The space station remains the springboard to NASA\u2019s next great leap in space exploration, including future missions to the Moon under Artemis and, eventually, Mars.<\/p>\n Learn more about NASA\u2019s Commercial Crew program at:<\/p>\n \n -end-<\/p>\n Josh Finch \/ Jimi Russell \/ Claire O\u2019Shea Steven Siceloff \/ Danielle Sempsrott \/ Stephanie Plucinsky Leah Cheshier
9:30 a.m. \u2013 Arrival coverage begins on NASA+, the NASA app, and YouTube, and continues on NASA Television and the agency\u2019s website.<\/p>\n\n
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov \/ james.j.russell@nasa.gov \/ claire.a.o\u2019shea@nasa.gov<\/p>\n
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
321-867-2468
steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov \/ danielle.c.sempsrott@nasa.gov \/ stephanie.n.plucinsky@nasa.gov<\/p>\n
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
leah.d.cheshier@nasa.gov<\/p>\n<\/div>\n