NASA Announces Crew for First Crewed Starliner Flight
Mission Managers Confident in Spacecraft's Readiness
Launch Date Still Undetermined
Mission managers for the first crewed Starliner flight are confident the spacecraft will be ready to carry NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams into orbit later this year. The flight, which will be the first for Boeing's Starliner spacecraft with a crew on board, was originally scheduled for July 21 but has been delayed due to software issues. However, mission managers say they are confident that the spacecraft will be ready to launch by the end of the year.
"We're confident in the spacecraft and the team," said Kathy Lueders, NASA's associate administrator for human exploration and operations. "We're taking the time to make sure everything is right, and we're confident that we'll have a successful flight."
The Starliner spacecraft is designed to carry up to seven astronauts to and from the International Space Station. It is one of two commercial spacecraft that NASA is developing to replace the Space Shuttle. The other spacecraft, SpaceX's Crew Dragon, has already flown two crewed missions to the space station.
The first crewed Starliner flight will be a major milestone for NASA and Boeing. It will be the first time that a commercial spacecraft has carried astronauts into orbit. The flight will also help NASA to prepare for future missions to the Moon and Mars.
"This is an exciting time for NASA and for space exploration," said Lueders. "We're on the cusp of a new era of human spaceflight, and we're proud to be a part of it."
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