Boeing Space and United Launch Alliance (ULA) have taken a decisive step towards the historic crewed flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. On Thursday, the Starliner and ULA’s Atlas V rocket were carefully transported to the launchpad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
In a video released by Boeing, the Starliner and Atlas V can be seen making their way to the launchpad at a leisurely pace of 1 mph (1.6 km/h). They traveled along tracks from ULA’s Vertical Integration Facility to Space Launch Complex-41. The journey was a crucial part of the preparations for Saturday’s highly anticipated flight, which will carry NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.
This is not the first time the Starliner and Atlas V have been positioned on the launchpad. Earlier this month, they were transported for a launch attempt scheduled for May 6th. However, just two hours before the planned liftoff, engineers identified an issue with a valve on the rocket’s upper stage. This discovery led to the postponement of the mission.
Subsequent investigations revealed a helium leak on the Starliner spacecraft, which also required attention. Since then, NASA has adjusted its target launch dates, with this Saturday’s attempt appearing to be the most promising. If all goes as planned and no last-minute glitches arise, the Starliner will embark on its inaugural crewed voyage to the International Space Station (ISS).
The journey to this point has been arduous for the Starliner. NASA’s initial attempt to send the spacecraft to the ISS in 2019 was thwarted by software issues, preventing it from reaching its intended orbit and resulting in a failed uncrewed test mission. It was not until 2022 that the Starliner was deemed ready for another flight. This time, the uncrewed vehicle successfully docked with the ISS and later returned to Earth, assisted by parachutes.
Unfortunately, subsequent inspections revealed additional issues with the Starliner, necessitating further delays. It has taken considerable time and effort to prepare the spacecraft for its first crewed flight. The successful launch and mission of the Starliner will represent a significant milestone in space exploration and human spaceflight.
