NASA Astronauts Launch Aboard Boeing's CST-100 Starliner
Crew Flight Test Begins
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched aboard Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The launch marks the beginning of the NASA-Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test (CFT), a crucial milestone in the development of Boeing's commercial crew transportation system.
The CFT mission is a test flight required by NASA before Boeing can begin regular crew rotation missions to the International Space Station (ISS). The Starliner spacecraft will spend approximately six months docked to the ISS, during which time the astronauts will conduct a series of tests and evaluations to ensure the spacecraft is safe and reliable for future crewed missions.
In addition to the CFT mission, NASA has ordered six Boeing crew rotation missions to the ISS. These missions will transport astronauts to and from the space station, providing a vital link to the orbiting laboratory.
Boeing's CST-100 Starliner is a reusable spacecraft designed to carry up to seven astronauts to and from low-Earth orbit. The spacecraft is launched atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket and can dock with the ISS using its own propulsion system.
The launch of the Starliner spacecraft is a significant step forward in NASA's efforts to develop a commercial crew transportation system. This system will provide NASA with a safe and reliable way to transport astronauts to and from the ISS, opening up new possibilities for scientific research and exploration.
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