Starliner crew perform key testing ahead of first flight

NASA and Boeing are gearing up for the first astronaut flight test of the company's CST-100 Starliner to the International Space Station, scheduled to launch no earlier than mid-to-late April 2023.

Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft will launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex-41 in Florida. The upcoming Crew Flight Test (CFT) will demonstrate the ability of the spacecraft and the rocket to safely carry astronauts to and from the space station

This week, NASA astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams, who are CFT commander and pilot, respectively, along with NASA astronaut and backup test pilot Mike Fincke, completed the first part of a critical two-part Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT). Typically conducted about two months prior to launch, CEIT gives astronauts the opportunity for hands-on training with the actual tools, equipment and hardware they will use on orbit.

During this test, the crew joined the Starliner team to perform in-cabin checkouts, including adjusting the seats of the spacecraft, inspecting its interfaces, examining cargo, and conducting floor panel and side hatch operations.

The second part of CEIT is scheduled for early March and will include the astronauts manoeuvring inside the cabin with cargo installed in the spacecraft.

✅ @NASA_Astronauts Butch Wilmore, @Astro_Suni & @AstroIronMike completed the first part of their Crew Equipment Interface Test (CEIT) for #Starliner's upcoming Crew Flight Test. pic.twitter.com/5GxTfXqgsW

— Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) February 24, 2023