June 1 (UPI) — After several delays, test pilots Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore are scheduled to launch the first crewed mission of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft Saturday afternoon.
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will carry the Starliner into space after launching from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 12.25 p.m. EDT.
Williams and Wilmore are giving the Starliner its final shakedown run, which includes a week-long stay while docked at the International Space Station.
The test pilots will spend two days traveling to the ISS, where it will dock and remain for about a week while testing the Starliner’s ability to support a crew while in space.
The Starliner will return to Earth with a landing planned in the U.S. Desert Southwest.
The Starliner is designed with a service life of 10 launches and landings.
Earlier test launches were delayed for many reasons, including the use of flammable tape in the Starliner capsule, a buzzing noise detected on the launch pad, a defective pressure valve on an upper-stage oxygen tank and a helium leak in the service module.
If the 10-day test flight proceeds successfully, NASA likely will certify the Starliner for use.
