Sunita Williams Set For Third Space Mission

The Boeing Starliner is ready to lift off today from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida around 10 pm. Veteran NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunitha Williams will be part of this historic mission, named Crew Flight Test. The mission was originally scheduled for May 6. However, it was postponed hours before lift-off due to a technical glitch.

According to NASA, both astronauts will remain docked at the orbiting laboratory for about two weeks to evaluate the new spacecraft and its systems before returning to Earth in the Western United States. With this crucial mission, Boeing aims to compete with SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule in the astronaut launch business. This launch comes two years after the Starliner completed its first test voyage without astronauts aboard.

A @ulalaunch Atlas V rocket with @BoeingSpace's #Starliner spacecraft is seen at sunset at SLC-41 as preparations continue for launch at 12:25 pm EDT on June 1. 📷: https://t.co/LNrWA1I9sG pic.twitter.com/UnvGlsT2iY

— NASA HQ PHOTO (@nasahqphoto) May 31, 2024

Butch Wilmore is the designated commander for the flight, with Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams in the pilot seat. Sunita Williams, a veteran of two space missions, will make history as the first woman to fly aboard such a mission. She was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1998. The veteran also set a record with four spacewalks totaling 29 hours and 17 minutes. Sunita Williams spent 322 days on the International Space Station during Expeditions 15/16 and 32/33.