2 weeks ago
34
NEW DELHI: After numerous setbacks and delays,
Boeing
is finally ready to send
astronauts
to the
International Space Station
(ISS) on behalf of Nasa. This marks the inaugural crewed flight of Boeing's
Starliner
capsule, with two
Nasa
pilots on board to evaluate the spacecraft during the test mission and a week-long stay at the space station.
Following the retirement of the space shuttles, Nasa turned to American companies to provide transportation for astronauts.
While
SpaceX
, founded by Elon Musk, has completed nine successful crew missions for Nasa since 2020, Boeing has only managed two uncrewed test flights.
"There's no doubt about that, but we're here now," acknowledged Mark Nappi, Boeing's program manager, expressing his wish that Starliner was further along in its development.
The long-awaited crewed demonstration mission is scheduled for launch on Monday night. If the test flight goes smoothly, Nasa plans to alternate between Boeing and SpaceX for future astronaut transportation to and from the space station.
The Starliner capsule, adorned in white with black and blue accents, stands approximately 10 feet (3 metres) tall and 15 feet (4.5 metres) in diameter. It has the capacity to accommodate up to seven individuals, although Nasa crews typically consist of four members. The capsule's name, chosen nearly a decade ago, is a nod to Boeing's earlier Stratoliner and the current Dreamliner aircraft.
Retired Navy captains and veteran Nasa astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have spent months aboard the space station in the past, will be at the helm of this test flight. They stepped in after the original crew had to withdraw due to the mounting delays.
Wilmore, 61, hails from Mount Juliet, Tennessee, and is a former combat pilot, while Williams, 58, from Needham, Massachusetts, is a helicopter pilot. Both have been closely involved in the development of the Starliner capsule and are confident in its readiness for this mission.
English (US)