Indian-origin astronaut Captain Sunita Williams along with her fellow veteran NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore will fly into space in the brand new spacecraft, the Boeing Starliner.
The upcoming mission marks a significant milestone for Boeing's Starliner spacecraft as it prepares for its inaugural crewed test flight from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. Scheduled for launch at 10:34 p.m. EDT on Monday, May 6th (8:04 a.m. Indian Standard Time on May 7th), it signifies the potential for Boeing to join SpaceX in providing crew transport to and from the International Space Station (ISS).
The crew, consisting of experienced astronauts Williams and Wilmore, will pilot the Starliner in what Boeing terms its Crew Flight Test (CFT). Following a successful launch, they will dock with the ISS for approximately a week. The journey to the ISS is estimated to take around 26 hours, with the astronauts spending 8 days on the station before returning to Earth on May 15th.
During the test flight, the astronaut duo will conduct a series of evaluations to ensure the Starliner meets NASA's safety standards for future missions under the Commercial Crew Program. Unlike previous US capsules, the Starliner will make a land touchdown somewhere in the western United States upon returning from space.
Both the astronoauts will be launching on a United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket to the International Space Station. Williams, hailing from Needham, Massachusetts, holds a degree in physical science from the US Naval Academy and a master's in engineering management from the Florida Institute of Technology. With 322 days in space across two missions, she holds records for women in spacewalks. Wilmore, aged 61, boasts 178 days in space and has conducted four spacewalks.
