In less than four hours, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are set to lift off at 12:25 p.m. EDT aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
As part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program, the mission is the first crewed flight for the Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station.
Here is a look at some key milestones leading up to today’s launch:
Time Event (All times approximate and subject to change)
8 a.m. Flight crew begins suit-up operations
9:01 a.m. Crew walkout from the Neil A. Armstrong Operations Checkout Building
9:05 a.m. Crew departs, travels to Space Launch Complex-41
9:21 a.m. Crew arrives at pad, ascends tower, enters White Room, and enters Starliner capsule separately
10:48 a.m. Hatch closure and leak checks
11:17 a.m. Hatch closure complete
11:26 a.m. Configure White Room for launch
11:50 a.m. Clear for launch check
12:04 p.m. Crew access arm retracts
12:25 p.m. Liftoff!
12:26 p.m. ULA rocket reaches Max Q
12:28 p.m. Atlas V booster separates
12:40 p.m. Boeing Starliner separates
12:56 p.m. Orbital insertion burn
Starliner will autonomously dock to the station on Sunday, June 2, and remain at the orbital laboratory for about a week. Although Starliner is designed to dock autonomously, the astronauts aboard the spacecraft will demonstrate manual control processes and capabilities before the spacecraft makes its automated final approach.
Stay tuned for more updates on this blog as the countdown to launch continues.