Watch NASA launch its first astronauts aboard the Boeing Starliner at 10:34PM ET

NASA will try to ship a pair of astronauts to area aboard Boeing’s Starliner plane for the primary time quickly, however not at the moment. Because the the astronauts settled into place, officers scrubbed Monday night time’s deliberate launch try at round 8:30PM ET, because of “a defective oxygen reduction valve commentary” on the ULA Atlas V rocket’s Centaur second stage. One other launch window is offered on Tuesday night time, nevertheless it’s unclear whether or not they are going to have the ability to reset that rapidly.

The launch was scheduled to happen at 10:34PM ET from the Cape Canaveral Area Power Station in Florida, with a livestream accessible on NASA’s YouTube channel.

The United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket will propel the Starliner plane to area, the place it can keep on the ISS for one week. Whereas on board, flight commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams will take a look at the Starliner’s capabilities, together with launching, docking, and its eventual return to Earth.

Boeing constructed the Starliner as a part of its $4.2 billion contract with NASA, which inspires the event of latest spacecraft from non-public firms by means of the company’s Business Crew Program.

If all goes properly throughout this flight, NASA will certify Starliner, permitting it to ferry NASA astronauts between Earth and the ISS. This might make the Starliner a brand new rival for SpaceX, which has been carrying NASA astronauts to area since 2020.

Replace Might sixth: Added particulars about scrubbed Monday night time launch try.