Third time’s the charm for the Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test

The third time was the charm for the first crewed flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. After two launch attempts on May 6 and June 1 ended with scrubs, the Atlas 5 rocket roared off pad 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, beginning a more than week-long mission for NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.

Liftoff took place on June 5 at 10:52 a.m. EDT (1452 UTC), finally marking the first crewed flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft after years of delays and setbacks. The spacecraft successfully completed its orbital insertion burn about 31 minutes into flight and then circularized its orbit with another burn at T+1 hour and 15 minutes into the mission.

“Two bold NASA astronauts are well on their way on this historic first test flight of a brand-new spacecraft,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, in a statement. “Boeing’s Starliner marks a new chapter of American exploration. Human spaceflight is a daring task – but that’s why it’s worth doing. It’s an exciting time for NASA, our commercial partners, and the future of exploration. Go Starliner, Go Butch and Suni!”