CAPE CANAVERAL, United States—Launch Day is finally here: Boeing’s Starliner capsule blasts off Monday to the International Space Station on its first crewed mission — several years after SpaceX first achieved the same milestone.
The flight, a final test before Starliner takes up regular service for NASA, is critical for the US aerospace giant, whose reputation has suffered of late due to safety issues with some of its passenger jets.
Starliner, which was first ordered a decade ago by the US space agency, has had a bumpy ride to the finish line, with surprise setbacks and multiple delays — a saga Boeing is eager to complete.
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are set to leave Cape Canaveral at 10:34 pm Monday (0234 GMT Tuesday) aboard the capsule.
Starliner will be propelled into orbit by an Atlas V rocket made by United Launch Alliance, a Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint venture. AFP