Boeing has successfully launched astronauts for the first time, joining SpaceX as NASA’s second provider of astronaut transportation to the International Space Station (ISS), Associated Press reports.
NASA test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams embarked on the 25-hour journey to the ISS aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule. They are set to spend just over a week there before returning to Earth on June 14. This mission marks Boeing’s crewed debut after years of delays due to spacecraft flaws and rocket-related problems. Previous issues included a failed 2019 test flight due to software issues, and another test flight in 2022, which had parachute problems.
This mission is part of NASA’s initiative to have two commercial companies, Boeing and SpaceX, transport astronauts following the retirement of the Space Shuttle. Boeing was contracted alongside SpaceX a decade ago to transport NASA astronauts, with NASA investing $4.2 billion in Boeing. SpaceX, which received just over half that amount, launched its first crewed mission in 2020 and has since flown multiple crews to the ISS. NASA plans to alternate between using SpaceX and Boeing for future missions, starting next year.
