Boeing Starliner launches historic crewed flight on May 25

Only five days are left until the first crewed flight of the Starliner into space. It looks like Boeing has managed to resolve the technical issues in its spacecraft. Want to see this historic event? Find out how you can watch it live on the internet.

The Boeing Starliner spacecraft (model CST-100) is scheduled to launch on Saturday, May 25, 2024, at 3:09 PM local time. In the US Eastern Time Zone, it will also be 3:09 PM, so it's worth setting a reminder in your calendar for this time.

The Boeing Starliner will begin its space journey in Florida, launching from the Kennedy Space Center. Onboard will be two NASA astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.

The Boeing spacecraft will fly to the International Space Station (ISS), where tests of all systems and the vehicle itself will be conducted. The first flight of the Boeing Starliner took place in 2019, but the manufacturer faced significant issues. Another flight took place two years ago and was successful, although it required additional improvements. We are now awaiting the first crewed flight.

Boeing Starliner is set to compete with SpaceX. So far, Elon Musk's company has had significantly greater success.

Those who want to watch the live broadcast of this event can choose from several options. The Starliner flight can be followed on the NASA+ streaming channel, NASA TV, the NASA app, or the NASA website. However, the simplest way is to watch it on YouTube.

The live broadcast will start at 11:00 AM Eastern Time. Docking at the ISS is scheduled for 4:12 PM Eastern Time. Less than two hours later (6:05 PM Eastern Time, on the evening of May 25), the hatch connecting the Boeing Starliner to the International Space Station will be opened. Members of Expedition 71 will welcome the astronauts aboard the ISS.