Watch Boeing Starliner’s inaugural crewed flight, launching two Nasa astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).
Starliner and its crew are now in orbit ahead of docking onto the ISS at 12:15pm ET tomorrow (5:15pm BST).
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It marks a pivotal moment for Boeing, with it cementing a role within the increasingly active space industry.
It is only the sixth time Nasa astronauts have taken off in a new, never-before-crewed, spacecraft.
Starliner is also the second certified spacecraft designed to ferry cargo and crew to the ISS.
The space capsule took off atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from the US Space Force’s Cape Canaveral launch site.
On board Starliner are astronauts Butch Wilmore, 61, and Suni Williams, 58, who are headed to the ISS for a week-long stay.
It will be the third time Wilmore and Williams have visited the orbital outpost.
Technical difficulties
The $1.5billion spacecraft was due to take off on its first crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on 7 May.
However, the initial launch was aborted after a strange buzzing sound was discovered coming from an oxygen valve just before take-off.
It was scrubbed twice more after a separate, but persistent, helium leak in Starliner’s propulsion system was discovered.
Failure to launch would have served as a major blow for the aerospace giant as it fights to save its reputation after a string of safety failures.
Earth to Mars
Starliner was created in collaboration with NASA’s Commercial Crew Programme, which is similar to its now-defunct Shuttle programme.
It’s aimed at making space flights commercially available, frequently ferrying people and cargo back and forth from Earth.
The capsule can be reused up to 10 times.
“For Nasa service missions to the International Space Station, it will carry up to four Nasa-sponsored crew members and time-critical scientific research,” Boeing said.
Boeing is hopeful the spacecraft can eventually transport humans to Mars if it ever gets off the ground.
Prior to its first crewed launch today, Starliner had already flown twice.
However, the capsule suffered several problems on its first mission in December 2019, and only successfully met all flight goals in its second launch in May 2022.
Starliner specifications
Spacecraft type: crewed capsule
Launch mass: 13,000kg
Payload capacity to ISS: up to four crew and 100kg of cargo
Crew capacity: up to seven passengers
Length and diameter: 16.5ft and 15ft
Reusability: one capsule can be reused up to 10 times
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