Photo credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
The Boeing Starliner spacecraft has successfully launched atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida and has entered orbit. This uncrewed capsule is set to dock with the International Space Station at 7:10 p.m. ET on Friday, May 20. It’s transporting over 500-pounds of NASA cargo as well as crew supplies to the ISS and will return to Earth with nearly 600 pounds of cargo.
Once docked, the Expedition 67 crew will open Starliner’s hatch at approximately 11:45 a.m. ET Saturday, May 21. After its successful return and certification, future NASA missions aboard Starliner will carry up to four crew members to the ISS. Starliner is slated to depart the International Space Station on Wednesday, May 25, when it will undock and return to Earth, landing in a desert in the western U.S. What’s next? Possibly an uncrewed test of the NASA Orion spacecraft, which could double as a lunar space station.
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I am incredibly grateful to our NASA, Boeing, and United Launch Alliance teams that have demonstrated persistence, resolve, and dedication to ensuring we were ready for launch today and for this flight test. We have learned so much as we’ve worked together to prepare for this mission, and we look forward to watching the spacecraft arrive at the space station for the first time and continuing to learn and improve as we prepare to fly our astronauts on Starliner,” said Kathryn Lueders, NASA associate administrator for space operations.
