After many mishaps

“Starliner” about to make its first manned test flight

(Bild: AFP/NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Ten years ago, the then head of NASA, Charles Bolden, made an announcement at a dramatically staged press conference in front of US flags and with tears of emotion in his eyes: "The most important nation in the world should not be dependent on any other country for space travel," said Bolden - and promised a return to his own flights to the International Space Station ISS. Bolden spoke of 2017 at the time - then little happened for a long time.

After the end of the space shuttle era, the US space agency NASA no longer wanted to develop and build its own space shuttles, but instead commissioned aircraft manufacturer Boeing and tech billionaire Elon Musk's company SpaceX. At the time, the long-established Boeing company with its Starliner spacecraft was considered to have a clear advantage and was awarded a contract that was almost twice as lucrative. But then Boeing experienced crises, problems and delays. But on Tuesday (04:34 CEST, Monday 22:34 local time) - ten years after the big announcement in 2014 - manned launch is finally set to begin.

Test astronauts aged 58 and 61 are very experienced
With NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Suni Williams on board, the "Starliner" is to be launched from the Cape Canaveral spaceport in the US state of Florida. The spacecraft is expected to arrive at the ISS on Wednesday, where Wilmore and Williams are due to stay for around a week. "It feels almost surreal," said 58-year-old Williams, who has been on board the ISS twice before, at a press conference beforehand. "We wouldn't be here if we weren't ready," said her 61-year-old astronaut colleague Wilmore, who has also been to space twice before. "We are ready. The spaceship is ready and the team is ready."

Suni Williams and Barry Wilmore are already looking forward to the test flight

(Bild: APA/Getty Images via AFP/GETTY IMAGES/JOE RAEDLE)

Meanwhile, competitor SpaceX has long since overtaken Boeing. In 2020, its Crew Dragon successfully undertook its first manned test flight to the ISS, and since then the astronaut transports have become so well-established that the eighth regular crew is currently on board the Dragon at the space station. For the planned arrival of the "Starliner", the "Crew Dragon" had to be moved to a different docking station at the ISS.

"Starliner" is partially reusable
The Starliner is now set to become an alternative to the Crew Dragon, greatly increasing astronaut capacity - but first the spacecraft has to prove itself. During an initial unmanned test in 2019, the Starliner did not even arrive at the ISS. The spacecraft is a partially reusable spacecraft that consists of a capsule around three meters high for the crew and a service module and can carry up to seven crew members, but is mainly designed for four and, unlike the "Crew Dragon", does not land on water but on Earth.

A second unmanned test flight was successful in 2022, but then numerous problems arose again, which further delayed a planned manned test flight. Of course, Boeing manager Mark Nappi said at a recent press conference that they wish they were further along. "There's no doubt about it, but we're here now."

NASA boss: "Golden age of space travel"
The current head of NASA, Bill Nelson, is also very optimistic about the future of the "Starliner": "History is being written here. We are in a golden age of space travel."