Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams is gearing up for her third journey to the international space station aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, scheduled for May 6. Alongside astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore, Williams will embark on the first piloted flight of Starliner, launching atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket at 10:34 pm EDT. Upon a successful launch, they are anticipated to dock at the space station on May 8, with a return to Earth planned for May 15 or shortly after. NASA intends to commence operational Starliner crew rotation flights in 2025, alternating with SpaceX launches.
Williams and Wilmore, both seasoned astronauts with extensive spaceflight experience, arrived at the Kennedy Space Center to prepare for Starliner’s maiden piloted launch, a mission delayed for years due to technical challenges following two uncrewed test flights. Their arrival was marked by excitement and anticipation, with Williams expressing her enthusiasm for the upcoming journey. Completing the Starliner’s Crew Flight Test will enhance NASA’s capability for transporting crew to and from the space station, a crucial milestone in space exploration.
Williams’ space endeavors began with Expedition 14/15 in 2006-2007, where she set a record for women with four spacewalks. Her second mission, Expedition 32/33 in 2012, further showcased her dedication to research and exploration, with another record-setting spacewalk time. The Starliner mission represents NASA’s ongoing efforts to reduce reliance on Russian spacecraft and resume launching American astronauts from US soil, following the retirement of the space shuttle.
While SpaceX has successfully launched multiple crewed missions to the space station, Boeing faced setbacks with Starliner, including software and communications issues during an unpiloted test flight in 2019. These challenges led to a delay in the Crew Flight Test until May 2022, following corrective measures and extensive testing to ensure mission success.
