NASA and Boeing target May 6 for Starliner’s first crewed flight

NASA and Boeing are now targeting no earlier than Monday, May 6, for the launch of Starliner's first crewed flight to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.

"The date adjustment optimizes space station schedule of activities planned toward the end of April, including a cargo spacecraft undocking and a crew spacecraft port relocation required for Starliner docking," NASA said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that the shift will also allow additional time for the crew aboard the microgravity laboratory to complete science and cargo logistics.

Starliner will launch on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The spacecraft will carry NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore to the space station. Ahead of the launch, NASA's SpaceX Crew-8 crewmates will board the Dragon spacecraft for a relocation to the zenith port of Harmony to allow for Starliner docking.

Williams and Wilmore will spend about a week docked to the space station before returning to Earth in the western United States. The flight test will help NASA verify whether the Starliner system is ready to fly regular crew rotation missions to the space station for the agency.

Starliner completed two uncrewed flight tests: Orbital Flight Test-2 in May 2022, and Orbital Flight Test-1 in December 2019.

.@NASA’s @BoeingSpace Crew Flight Test is now targeting no earlier than Monday, May 6, for #Starliner’s first launch with astronauts Butch Wilmore and @Astro_Suni.The date adjustment better optimizes @Space_Station's schedule of activities.Details: https://t.co/p358CBKF2Q pic.twitter.com/WicNGSCAlh

— NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) April 2, 2024