Two NASA astronauts will soon make history as the first to launch into space aboard a Boeing spacecraft.
Commander Barry “Butch” Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams are planned to be launched into space. international space station (ISS) on May 6 represents the first Crew Flight Test, or CFT, of Boeing’s Starliner capsule.
The mission will see Starliner launch on United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket at 10:34 PM EST on May 6 (0234 GMT on May 7) from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The pair will spend ten days in space in the orbiting laboratory before the crewed Starliner capsule returns to Earth and makes a parachute- and airbag-assisted landing in the southwestern United States. If all goes as planned this first crew flight test It will pave the way for the Starliner capsule, which can carry four astronauts or a mix of crew and cargo, to be used for crew rotation missions to the space station.
Relating to: Boeing Starliner 1st astronaut flight: Live updates
The astronauts last completed a full launch day dress rehearsal on Friday, April 26. A statement from NASA. They will now spend the next week working on last minute preparations and training exercises.
Both Wilmore and Williams are experienced astronauts who have flown to the space station on two previous space missions. You can learn more about each below.
Barry “Butch” Wilmore
Barry WilmoreAlso known as Butch, he will serve as the commander of Boeing’s first Starliner CFT. Wilmore is a 61-year-old U.S. Navy Captain who joined NASA in 2000 as an astronaut candidate. He spent a total of 178 days in space, logging 5 hours and 36 minutes on four spacewalks.
Wilmore moved to Mt., where his family still lives today. Juliet comes from Tennessee. He is reportedly married to the ex Deanna Newport, with whom he shares two daughters. Biography from NASA. Wilmore holds a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering from Tennessee Technological University. He also holds a Master of Science in Aeronautical Systems from the University of Tennessee and is a graduate of the United States Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) with more than 8,000 flight hours in tactical jet aircraft and 663 carrier landings.
During his time as a Fleet Naval Officer and aviator, Wilmore completed four operational deployments flying A-7E and F/A-18 aircraft from the decks of the aircraft carriers USS Forrestal, USS Kennedy, USS Enterprise and USS Eisenhower. to his biography. His deployment aboard USS Eisenhower with the “Blue Blasters” of Strike Fighter Squadron 34 (VFA-34) was his last combat mission. Prior to joining NASA, Wilmore was a Flight Test Instructor for the United States Air Force at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
Wilmore has two spaceflights under his belt. He previously served as a pilot STS-129 shuttle of Atlantis Deployed and commanded the ISS in 2009 Expedition 42 Over a period of 167 days from September 25, 2014 to March 12, 2015. On his second mission, Wilmore performed three spacewalks to prepare the orbiting laboratory for new international docking adapters and future U.S. commercial crewed spacecraft. He also completed a spacewalk with fellow astronaut Reid Wiseman to replace a faulty voltage regulator.
Suni L. Williams
Sunita “Suni” Williams, who will pilot the Starliner, was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1998. Prior to joining NASA, he served as a U.S. Navy Captain and logged more than 3,000 flight hours in more than 30 different aircraft.
Williams was born in Euclid, Ohio, but calls Needham, Massachusetts his hometown. According to her, she and her husband, Michael, enjoy spending time with their dogs and share various interests such as hiking and camping. Biography from NASA. The 58-year-old holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Sciences from the U.S. Naval Academy and a Master of Science degree in Engineering Management from the Florida Institute of Technology.
When Williams was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1998, he was assigned to the U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship USS Saipan. Following astronaut training, Williams worked with the Russian Space Agency in Moscow on Russia’s contribution to the space station and the first Expedition Team. Later, in the Robotics department, he worked on the space station’s Robotic Arm and the subsequent Special Purpose Skilled Manipulator.
Williams previously completed two missions aboard the space station, spending a total of 322 days in space and logging 50 hours and 40 minutes of spacewalks; this was the second most cumulative spacewalk time by a female astronaut. He flew to the ISS for the first time space shuttle Discovery As part of Expedition 14/15, for a six-month stay from 9 December 2006 to 22 June 2007.
After his first flight, he served as Deputy Chief of the Astronaut Department. Later, in 2012, Williams returned to space for a four-month mission as Expedition 32’s Flight Engineer and Expedition 33’s Commander. During his second long-duration mission, he performed spacewalks to replace a component that transfers power from the space station’s solar energy. systems and repairs the ammonia leak in the station radiator. In addition to his time in space, Williams also lived underwater. aquarius habitat As a crew member of NEEMO2 for 9 days.