Boeing Starliner launch: Firm to launch two NASA astronauts to International Space Station in new capsule after several setbacks - how to watch

Boeing will launch its first crewed spacecraft from Florida to the International Space Station (ISS) in a bid to transform human exploration of space. Boeing’s Starliner will blast off from Cape Canaveral in Florida today (Monday 6 May) with two Nasa astronauts on board.

The mission has been delayed for several years because of setbacks in the spacecraft's development. If it is successful, it will become the second private firm able to provide crew transport to and from the ISS, alongside Elon Musk's SpaceX.

The two Nasa astronauts should have taken flight in 2017, before supply and production hold-ups, hardware and software issues skewered the schedule. While Boeing worked to fix its problems, its chief rival Elon Musk’s SpaceX, completed 340 launches, and intends to carry humans to Mars by the end of the next decade.

Boeing managers are confident that the setbacks have been overcome. If successful, Monday’s week-long test mission will lead to six further astronaut rotation flights to the space station that Nasa has ordered as part of its commercial crew program.

The Starliner capsule, officially called CST-100 (crew space transportation), has interior space similar to a midsize SUV, and has a capacity of seven, although it will be configured for four astronauts and cargo for space station flights.

Each capsule can be flown up to 10 times, Boeing says, with a six-month turnaround between each mission. Innovation includes Starliner’s weldless design, which reduces the risk of structural failure, and highly developed software that allows the spacecraft to fly, navigate and course-correct autonomously.

The astronauts, Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore, have been in quarantine at the Kennedy Space Center since 25 April to prepare for Monday’s flight. Wilmore said the delays had only helped them become more familiar with the capsule, and prepared for the challenges of the mission.

He told a virtual press conference from Cape Canaveral: “We’ve been through training and we have our fingerprints on every single procedure that exists for this spacecraft. We’re fully trained in all aspects of Starliner.”

Libby Jackson, Head of Space Exploration at the UK Space Agency, said: “This is a huge step towards expanding the capability for sending astronauts to orbit from US soil, with Boeing’s Starliner soon to be complementing SpaceX’s Dragon in providing commercially operated flights to and from the International Space Station (ISS). 

“Having two different ways of getting into space brings both resilience and competition, which are vital components for the continued operation of the ISS and the future commercial space stations that are in development. We expect to see ESA Astronauts on board Starliner soon, and this could include astronauts from the UK. The ISS provides a unique environment for cutting-edge scientific research that benefits us all back on Earth. So it's really important that we have options for getting there.”

The scheduled lift-off is set for 22:34 local time on Monday (03:34 BST Tuesday). Live coverage of the event will stream on NASA channels beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET Monday, according to the space agency.