NASA astronauts will attempt once again Saturday afternoon to launch to orbit in a spacecraft they’ve never flown before.
The space agency retired its space shuttles in 2011. For nine years, astronauts could get to the International Space Station only aboard Russian Soyuz rockets. Then in May 2020, two NASA astronauts, Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, flew to the I.S.S. in a SpaceX spacecraft, Crew Dragon. That capsule has since become the only way to get to orbit from the United States.
But NASA has been waiting on a second vehicle to be ready. Called Starliner, and built by the aerospace giant Boeing, it is set to launch on its first test flight with astronauts on board after years of technical setbacks and costly delays. Here’s what you need to know about Saturday’s flight:
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The spacecraft will lift off atop an Atlas V rocket at 12:25 p.m. Eastern time from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. NASA will start livestreaming the preparations for launch at 8:15 a.m. Eastern. A video player where you can watch the astronauts suit up and board the capsule will be provided on this webpage.
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Starliner has what is known as an instantaneous launch window — it must launch on time to allow it to catch up with the International Space Station passing above. Weather is currently 90 percent favorable for launch and the countdown and fueling of the rocket with propellants are underway.
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The two crew members on board Starliner are Butch Wilmore, the commander, and Suni Williams, the pilot. They are experienced NASA astronauts, with Mr. Wilmore having spent 167 days in space, and Ms. Williams 322 days there. After liftoff, they will spend about a day in orbit before docking with the space station Sunday afternoon. They will stay for about a week, allowing for more tests of the spacecraft and its systems.
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The two astronauts were supposed to launch on May 6. A problem, since repaired, with a valve on the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket that was to carry their Starliner capsule to orbit caused the flight to be called off after Wilmore and Williams were already on board.
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Starliner itself is years behind schedule, as the work by Boeing and NASA to confirm that the spacecraft was safe to fly stretched far longer than either had expected. Technical pitfalls included inadequate software testing, corroded propellant valves, flammable tape and a key component in the parachute system that turned out to be weaker than designed, and most recently a helium leak in the spacecraft’s propulsion system. Boeing fixed and studied the problems, enabling Saturday’s launch attempt.
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The delays have left Boeing facing more than $1.4 billion in unexpected charges. The launch attempt comes during a tough 2024 for the aerospace giant. Just days into the year, a panel on the body of a Boeing 737 Max 9 blew off during an Alaska Airlines flight. The pilots safely landed the plane and there were no major injuries, but the episode has had widespread repercussions for the company, particularly its aviation division.
Niraj Chokshi contributed reporting.