Live updates: Boeing and NASA launch Starliner spacecraft | CNN

Boeing launches first crewed Starliner spacecraft

By Jackie Wattles, Ashley Strickland and Maureen Chowdhury, CNN

Updated 2:46 PM EDT, Wed June 5, 2024

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying two astronauts aboard Boeing's Starliner-1 Crew Flight Test (CFT), is launched on a mission to the International Space Station, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., June 5, 2024. REUTERS/Joe Skipper

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Watch Boeing launch first crewed Starliner spacecraft

0:59 • Source: CNN

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying two astronauts aboard Boeing's Starliner-1 Crew Flight Test (CFT), is launched on a mission to the International Space Station, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., June 5, 2024. REUTERS/Joe Skipper

Watch Boeing launch first crewed Starliner spacecraft

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What we covered here

A Boeing spacecraft carrying two NASA astronauts is on its historic maiden voyage. The vehicle’s landmark launch kicked off the first crewed test flight of the capsule and marked the culmination of a long and trying development process.
The astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, are expected to spend one day in orbit before docking with the International Space Station.
The mission comes after years of development and costly setbacks for Boeing’s Starliner, which aims to compete with SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft.
An attempt to launch the spacecraft on June 1 was scrubbed just minutes before its scheduled liftoff.

40 Posts

We’ve wrapped up our live coverage for the day. You can read more about the Starliner mission here.

Here's what to expect during Thursday's docking

From CNN's Ashley Strickland

Eager to continue following Starliner’s journey? NASA will resume live coverage Thursday at 9:30 a.m. ET on the agency’s website.

Williams and Wilmore are expected to dock with the International Space Station at 12:15 p.m. ET tomorrow.

The hatch between Starliner and the station is expected to be opened at 2 p.m., and the astronaut duo will be welcomed by the seven crew members already aboard the station at 2:20 p.m. ET.

And NASA officials will share the latest details about Starliner’s historic mission at 3:30 p.m. ET Thursday.

Will Starliner be used for tourism?

From CNN's Jackie Wattles

Boeing's Starliner lifts off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday.

Boeing's Starliner lifts off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday.

John Raoux/AP

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft was designed under the same NASA program as SpaceX’s Crew Dragon — which has already carried 13 missions to orbit for NASA astronauts as well as paying customers.

That’s allowed under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which from the outset intended for SpaceX and Boeing to own and operate their spacecraft. The space agency buys flights for its astronauts, and the companies are allowed to sell seats if they want.

SpaceX has taken full advantage of that: It has flown tourists and foreign astronauts to the space station in a partnership with Houston-based company Axiom. SpaceX has also flown a mission for finance billionaire Jared Isaacman called Inspiration 4 — and more are on the schedule.

But Boeing, which has suffered lengthy delays and costly setbacks during Starliner’s development, has been less certain of whether Starliner will be used for joy rides.

“Right now we’re focused on the six missions that we have on contract with NASA,” said Mark Nappi, vice president and Starliner program manager at Boeing, during a news briefing prior to the May 6 launch attempt. “The private astronaut missions are of interest later in the decade — but right now, the focus is on getting certified.”

A snippet from a Starliner overview packet posted to Boeing’s website, however, is a bit more assertive:

“We are selling the extra fifth seat on NASA missions,” the document reads. “Potential customers include commercial and government-sponsored astronauts and even private citizens flying as tourists. Starliner is also planned to be used for crew transportation to Blue Origin’s upcoming Orbital Reef commercial space station.”

NASA officials know a thing or two about scrubbed missions

From CNN's Ashley Strickland

Bill Nelson peels a grapefruit on NASA's Columbia space shuttle during an Earth orbit between January 12 and 19, 1986.

Bill Nelson peels a grapefruit on NASA's Columbia space shuttle during an Earth orbit between January 12 and 19, 1986.

NASA

Both NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, are former astronauts, so they know what it’s like to make the thrilling journey to space and back — and the long wait to lift off when things don’t go as planned, like the two scrubs Williams and Wilmore faced ahead of today’s successful launch.

Nelson and Bowersox sat next to each other during the news conference.

Selected as an astronaut in 1987, Bowersox flew five times on the space shuttle and once on a Roscosmos Soyuz, logging more than 211 days in space.

Bowersox said Williams and Wilmore probably spent longer than he did in crew quarantine because of the distance between their scrubbed launches.

Nelson trained and flew with the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1986.

Starliner crew will land on dry land rather than splash down. Here's why

From CNN's Jackie Wattles & Ashley Strickland

The Boeing Starliner spacecraft lands at White Sands Missile Range’s Space Harbor in New Mexico after a test flight, in May 2022.

The Boeing Starliner spacecraft lands at White Sands Missile Range’s Space Harbor in New Mexico after a test flight, in May 2022.

Bill Ingalls/NASA

Today’s launch was a monumental moment for the two astronauts heading for space.

But what goes up must come down.

After Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore spend eight days aboard the International Space Station, they’ll come home in their Starliner capsule.

The earliest possible landing date is June 14, but the astronauts may stay longer on the station because there is nothing “magical” about that return date, NASA officials said Wednesday.

And the vehicle will make its return to Earth unlike any US spacecraft before it.

Rather than splashing down in the ocean, as SpaceX’s Crew Dragon and other capsules dating back to NASA’s Mercury Program have done, Starliner is going to hit terra firma.

There are five possible landing sites, generally across the southwestern US: Two in New Mexico, one in Utah, another in Arizona and, finally, one in California.

Why land on land rather than splash down?

Seawater is rough on spacecraft. The salt can corrode components. And then, there’s the sheer hassle of getting ships out to sea to rescue the crew.

NASA official: The space station's urine pump change will happen soon

From CNN's Ashley Strickland

Starliner is carrying a crucial replacement pump that helps convert urine on the space station into drinkable water.

The pump failed last week, and since then, urine has been stored in bags on the space station while the crew awaits the replacement pump.

Today's launch means a lot to Boeing, official with commercial crew program says

From CNN's Maureen Chowdhury

The launch means a lot to Boeing, said Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager, for Boeing’s Commercial Crew Program.

He said that the launch was the first step in the program’s mission, and there are many more phases.

Nappi added that for the rest of the year, Boeing is focused on getting certified for the Starliner 1 mission.

Boeing official: "We don't see it as a competition" with SpaceX

From CNN's Ashley Strickland

In this screen grab from video, the vice president and program manager of the Commercial Crew Program for Boeing Mark Nappi speaks at a press conference in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday.

In this screen grab from video, the vice president and program manager of the Commercial Crew Program for Boeing Mark Nappi speaks at a press conference in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday.

NASA TV

When asked about the relationship between Boeing and SpaceX, long viewed as a rivalry, Mark Nappi, the vice president and program manager of the Commercial Crew Program for Boeing, said he believes others see it as a competition.

Nappi saw Musk’s congratulatory post on X about the flight.

Here's what happens next for the Starliner crew

From CNN's Ashley Strickland

In this screen grab from video, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program Steve Stich speaks during a press conference at Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday.

In this screen grab from video, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program Steve Stich speaks during a press conference at Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday.

NASA TV

NASA officials shared that astronauts Williams and Wilmore may enjoy a slightly extended stay aboard the International Space Station once they arrive. The earliest possible landing date is June 14.

Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, added that the only issue mission teams are assessing is a system called a sublimator on Starliner, which provides cooling during the launch and landing phase.

The team will assess data of the sublimator to learn more about how the system is functioning for future purposes.

"Today's launch was definitely worth waiting for," NASA official says

From CNN's Maureen Chowdhury

In this screen grab from video, participants speak at a NASA press conference in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday.

In this screen grab from video, participants speak at a NASA press conference in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday.

NASA TV

NASA officials praised the teams and efforts to get the Boeing Starliner into orbit during a post-launch news conference on Wednesday.

He said that it was “beautiful” to see smiles on astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams faces before liftoff and hear their voices when they were safely in orbit.

Bowersox also commended NASA, Boeing and United Launch Alliance (ULA) teams for troubleshooting ahead of the launch.

He then went on to say that this is just the start of the mission.

Bowersox added, “I’m really looking forward to seeing two US vehicles at the International Space Station.”

NASA administrator: "We don't launch until it's right"

From CNN's Ashley Strickland

In this screen grab from video, NASA administrator Bill Neslon speaks at a press conference at Cape Canaveral, Florida, On Wednesday.

In this screen grab from video, NASA administrator Bill Neslon speaks at a press conference at Cape Canaveral, Florida, On Wednesday.

NASA TV

NASA administrator Bill Nelson kicked off the news conference by marking the historic occasion of Starliner’s successful launch.

“The first time that a human was launched into orbit on an American rocket was an Atlas V rocket,” Nelson said. “And now, here all these years later, we’ve got a crew going to the station on an Atlas V.”

Today, Starliner became only the sixth new American spacecraft to carry humans to space after the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Space Shuttle and SpaceX’s Dragon capsules.

Now, Williams and Wilmore will “test this thing from izzard to gizzard” to get Starliner certified for future flights, Nelson said.

Once Starliner is certified, the US will have two ways of reaching the International Space Station, which was why the Commercial Crew Program was started in the first place, Nelson said.

Meet Rosie, Starliner's only previous passenger

From CNN's Jackie Wattles

Boeing's test flight dummy “Rosie."

Boeing's test flight dummy “Rosie."

Courtesy Boeing

On two previous uncrewed test flights, Starliner has flown with a spacesuit-clad mannequin nicknamed “Rosie” after Rosie the Riveter — the pop icon that represented women taking up manufacturing jobs during World War II.

The test flight dummy even donned the riveter’s classic red bandana.

Rosie’s presence on the lonely test flight missions served several purposes, most notably giving Starliner developers data about the experience inside the capsule thanks to dozens of sensors.

The astronauts spoke about their inanimate predecessor during a recent news conference, though Suni Williams noted Rosie didn’t offer them any data about how comfortable the seats aboard Starliner would be during launch and landing.

“Butch (Wilmore) and I will be your next test dummies,” she said.

Wilmore jumped in to clarify: “Just in case, for those that aren’t familiar: Rosie was a literal dummy — she was, like, not human,” he added.

Boeing space CEO: The mission welcomes "new era of space exploration"

From CNN's Ashley Strickland

Boeing Defense, Space and Security CEO Ted Colbert attends the at the Dubai Air Show in Dubai, in November 2023.

Boeing Defense, Space and Security CEO Ted Colbert attends the at the Dubai Air Show in Dubai, in November 2023.

Christopher Pike/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Now that Starliner has officially reached space on its first crewed mission, years of work that went into achieving the milestone of the historic maiden voyage have finally come to fruition.

“This is a great start. We look forward to getting the astronauts safely to the space station and back home.”

NASA administrator: "Today's launch is a milestone achievement"

From CNN's Ashley Strickland

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, right, watches the launch of Boeing Starliner at Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, right, watches the launch of Boeing Starliner at Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday.

Joel Kowsky/NASA

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson offered his congratulations on the mission via X, formerly known as Twitter.

SpaceX CEO and founder Elon Musk, whose company is a director competitor of Boeing’s, offered his congrats on X as well.

Then, Musk posted about the upcoming launch of SpaceX’s mega moon rocket Starship, expected to lift off from the company’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, on Thursday.

SOON: NASA officials to hold post-launch news conference to mark Starliner's maiden voyage

From CNN staff

A post-launch news conference at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ET.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson is expected to speak along with other agency officials.

Starliner had a successful liftoff and has already conducted its first orbital insertion burn. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are expected to spend one day in orbit before docking with the International Space Station.

The capsule is expected to reach the orbiting laboratory at 12:15 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 6.

Starliner has an additional passenger on board

From CNN's Ashley Strickland

In this screen grab from video, NASA Communications Megan Cruz holds Calypso, the stuffed toy narwhal that is aboard Boeing's Starliner.

In this screen grab from video, NASA Communications Megan Cruz holds Calypso, the stuffed toy narwhal that is aboard Boeing's Starliner.

NASA TV

There’s a colorful guest riding aboard Starliner with Williams and Wilmore today: Calypso.

The sparkly toy narwhal is serving a key purpose as a zero-G indicator, which floats when Starliner hits space and the crew experiences microgravity.

NASA has a long history of using toys in space as zero gravity indicators.

Williams’ niece and nephew helped her select this particular zero gravity indicator.

She wanted to choose an indicator that raised awareness for how space and ocean research go together.

Williams also named the Starliner capsule Calypso as a nod to explorer Jacques Cousteau and his ship, which he sailed across the globe to share insights about the world’s oceans.

Williams believes Starliner will do the same for space, said Megan Cruz with NASA communications during the live broadcast.

Starliner conducts its first orbital insertion burn

From CNN's Ashley Strickland

The Starliner spacecraft just experienced its first orbital insertion burn.

This maneuver takes Starliner out of its slightly suborbital trajectory and puts it at an altitude that will allow the spacecraft to catch up with the space station for a rendezvous later tomorrow.

Starliner reaches orbit

From CNN's Ashley Strickland

The Starliner spacecraft has officially reached orbit.

Now, Williams and Wilmore have their tablets out and are preparing for the first in a series of burns that will set Starliner on its way to the International Space Station.

Starliner is powering itself in space

From CNN's Ashley Strickland

In this screen grab from video, Boeing's Starliner is powering through space.

In this screen grab from video, Boeing's Starliner is powering through space.

NASA TV

The Starliner spacecraft has officially separated from the Atlas V rocket and is firing its own engines.

Williams and Wilmore are now expected to spend more than 24 hours traveling to the International Space Station, with docking anticipated to occur at 12:15 p.m. ET on Thursday.

Starliner hits "Max Q"

From CNN's Ashley Strickland & Jackie Wattles

Boeing's Starliner launches towards space, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday.

Boeing's Starliner launches towards space, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday.

Joe Skipper/Reuters

Starliner and the Atlas V rocket just hit “Max Q,” when the vehicle experiences its maximum dynamic pressure during flight.

Put simply: It’s when the rocket is moving at very high speed, at a time when the atmosphere is still pretty thick, putting a lot of pressure on the vehicle.