Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams set to fly into space for a third time on 1st crewed mission of Boeing's Starlin

• Image Credit: Google

• May 6, 2024 | Pinaki Goswami

The launch of Williams and Wilmore is scheduled for May 6, but for those in India, it will occur in the early hours of May 7...

Digital Desk: Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams is set to embark on her highly anticipated journey back to space aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, marking the spacecraft's inaugural human spaceflight. Williams, aged 58, will be accompanied by Nasa astronaut Barry "Butch" Wilmore, 61, on the Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission, which signifies the first crewed flight of Starliner to the International Space Station (ISS).

The launch of Williams and Wilmore is scheduled for May 6, but for those in India, it will occur in the early hours of May 7. They will ascend atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, with liftoff planned for 8:04 am IST on Tuesday.

This landmark mission is pivotal in certifying the Starliner system for regular crew rotations to the orbiting laboratory, offering NASA an additional means of ferrying astronauts to the ISS alongside SpaceX's Crew Dragon.

Expressing confidence in the mission, Williams stated during a press conference at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, "We feel very safe and very comfortable when this spacecraft flies. This is where we're supposed to be." Williams, whose expertise in spacecraft development spans nearly a decade, was assigned to the commercial crew program in 2015 and later designated to the CFT mission in 2022.

Wilmore, initially a backup for the mission, brings invaluable experience in test acquisition and system integration, a crucial aspect of Starliner's development process.

During their mission, Williams and Wilmore will briefly visit the ISS, where they will join the Expedition 71 crew and Nasa Crew 8. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson hailed this endeavor as a significant milestone for the Commercial Crew Program and NASA, emphasizing its role in reinstating America's human spaceflight capabilities.

The successful completion of the Crew Flight Test will propel Starliner closer to its goal of regularly ferrying personnel to and from the ISS, solidifying the United States' autonomous access to space. This historic mission underscores the collaborative efforts between the public and private sectors in advancing space exploration.