If all goes well, NASA astronauts will launch into orbit in the next few hours in a spacecraft that has never flown before.
The space agency retired the space shuttle in 2011. For nine years, astronauts could only reach the International Space Station aboard Russian Soyuz rockets. Then, in May 2020, two NASA astronauts, Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, flew to the ISS on SpaceX's Crew Dragon. Since then, this capsule has become the only means of reaching orbit from the United States.
During this time, NASA was waiting for the second vehicle to be ready. The craft, called Starliner, was built by aerospace giant Boeing and is set to launch with astronauts on its first test flight after years of technical setbacks and costly delays. Here's what you need to know about Monday night's flight.
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The spacecraft will lift off atop an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 10:34 p.m. ET. NASA will begin livestreaming launch preparations at 6:30 p.m. ET. This webpage provides a video player where you can watch it.
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Starliner has a so-called instantaneous launch window, meaning it must launch on time to catch up with the International Space Station as it passes overhead. Weather conditions are currently 95% favorable for a scheduled launch.
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The two crew members aboard the Starliner are Captain Butch Wilmore and Pilot Suni Williams. Both are experienced NASA astronauts, with Wilmore spending 167 days in space and Williams 322 days. After launch, the spacecraft will spend about a day in orbit, and is scheduled to dock with the space station early Wednesday morning. They will stay for about a week, allowing for further testing of the spacecraft and its systems.
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Starliner is years behind schedule, the result of work by Boeing and NASA to ensure the much longer-stretched spacecraft is safe to fly. Technical pitfalls included inadequate software testing, corroded propellant valves, flammable tape, and key components in the parachute system that turned out to be weaker than designed. Boeing fixed the problem, allowing tonight's launch attempt.
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The delay leaves Boeing facing an unexpected bill of more than $1.4 billion. The launch attempt comes in 2024, a tough year for the aerospace giant. Just a few days into the year, a panel on the fuselage of a Boeing 737 Max 9 blew off during an Alaska Airlines flight. Although the pilot was able to land the plane safely and there were no major injuries, the incident had a wide-ranging impact on the company, particularly its aviation division.
Niraj Chokshi Contributed to the report.