Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams is set to make her highly anticipated return to space, marking a significant milestone in space exploration as she joins the inaugural human spaceflight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
Williams, aged 58, will be accompanied by fellow NASA astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore, aged 61, on the Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission, marking the Starliner’s maiden crewed voyage to the International Space Station (ISS).
“Astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore will launch on Tuesday. While the launch is scheduled for May 6, it will be conducted in the early hours of May 7 when seen from Bharat,” announced space officials.
The launch is slated atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, with liftoff scheduled for 8:04 am IST on Tuesday.
“This historic mission is a crucial step in certifying the Starliner system for regular crew rotations to the orbiting laboratory, providing NASA with a second option for transporting astronauts to the ISS alongside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon,” stated officials.
“We feel very safe and very comfortable when this spacecraft flies. This is where we’re supposed to be,” remarked Williams during a press conference at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre.
Williams, with nearly a decade-long wait for a commercial crew flight, was initially assigned to the program in 2015 due to her extensive experience in spacecraft development. She was later designated for the CFT mission in 2022.
Wilmore, who was initially a backup for the mission, has been in the program queue since at least 2019 and was transferred to the CFT prime crew in October 2020.
“His background in test acquisition and understanding the vital importance of ensuring integrated systems work as planned has been invaluable for Starliner’s development process,” officials acknowledged.
During the approximate 10-day mission, Wilmore and Williams will meticulously evaluate the Starliner’s systems and capabilities, laying the groundwork for operational crew flights to the space station.
“This is a major milestone for the Commercial Crew Program and for NASA, as we work to restore America’s human spaceflight capabilities,” remarked NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
The successful culmination of this Crew Flight Test will bring the Starliner one step closer to routinely ferrying personnel to and from the ISS, further solidifying the United States’ autonomous access to space.
