Boeing May finally go to space Monday night in a planned launch to send two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station aboard its Starliner space capsule.
Monday’s launch is Boeing’s third and final orbital flight test CST-100 Starlinerwhich serves as a final demonstration before a spacecraft can be approved for routine orbital travel.
NASA is providing live coverage of the event, which is scheduled to begin on Monday at 6:30 pm ET. You can watch the video embedded at the top of the page or at NASA+NASA Television, the NASA appNASA YouTube page and the agency website. A post-launch press conference is also planned.
What time is the launch?
The spacecraft is scheduled for release at 10:34 pm ET on Monday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Boeing describes Monday Night Release as “Instant” meaning it will have to occur at a “precise time to put Starliner on track” to the International Space Station.
It is expected to dock at the front door of the ISS’s Harmony module at 12:46 pm on Wednesday.
What is the Boeing Starliner?
Like Elon Musk’s SpaceX capsule, the Starliner is intended to be a vehicle that can transport astronauts to and from the space station, as NASA seeks more partnerships with private industry. But Boeing lagged far behind its competitor, which launched its first manned mission in 2020, as reported by Reuters.
It was designed to accommodate a maximum of seven passengers on low-Earth orbit missions. For NASA, the capsule is intended to carry four astronauts along with a mix of cargo and other scientific instruments to and from the ISS.
Who are the astronauts aboard the Boeing Starliner?
The two NASA astronauts aboard Starliner for Monday’s launch are Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams, both Navy test pilots who have flown in space twice. They will be in space for just over a week testing the Starliner spacecraft and its subsystems and will board the Starliner for a return trip to Earth after the mission. They have a plan parachute and airbag landing in the American Southwest.
Contributing: Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY.
This article originally appeared in USA TODAY: Boeing Starliner launch live stream: Watch astronauts take off for the ISS
