Starliner launch: Boeing, NASA, ULA says Saturday a 'go' for test flight with crew

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA and Boeing teams have given the green light to proceed with the launch of the Boeing Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station, scheduled for 12:25 p.m. EDT on Saturday, June 1. 

The decision was made during a Flight Test Readiness Review at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where officials from NASA, Boeing, and United Launch Alliance (ULA) confirmed the readiness of all systems, facilities, and teams involved in the test flight.

A backup launch window is available on Sunday, June 2, with additional opportunities on Wednesday, June 5, and Thursday, June 6.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who returned to Kennedy on May 28, will remain in quarantine at the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building until the launch. The crew had previously been in quarantine in Houston while mission teams addressed issues with the rocket and spacecraft following the initial scrubbed launch attempt on May 6.

A prelaunch news conference is scheduled for 1 p.m. EDT on Friday, May 31, at Kennedy’s press auditorium, featuring NASA leaders, Boeing, and ULA partners.

The Atlas V rocket and Starliner spacecraft will lift off from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. 

Wilmore and Williams are slated to be the inaugural crew launching aboard Boeing's Starliner as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. Their mission will encompass approximately one week at the orbiting laboratory before concluding with a parachute and airbag-assisted landing in the southwestern United States.

Upon the successful culmination of the mission, NASA will commence the final certification process for Starliner and its systems, paving the way for crewed rotation missions to the space station.

Why was Starliner scrubbed?

ULA's launch director decided to cancel the launch that was planned for Monday, May 6, due to concerns regarding an oxygen relief valve on the Atlas V rocket's Centaur upper stage.

"Out of an abundance of caution for the safety of the flight and pad crew, we scrubbed the Crew Flight Test (CFT) launch attempt," ULA said in a statement.

The scrub came nearly two hours before launch, as a countdown was underway and both astronauts had arrived at the launch site. They safely exited Starliner and returned to crew quarters following the announcement that the launch was scrubbed.

ULA CEO Tory Bruno said the valve was "buzzing" loudly enough that the blue team in the launch tower white room helping the astronauts into the capsule could hear the issue. 

Resolving the valve issue would have involved changing the rocket's fueled state, with the crew onboard violating the flight rules. The buzzing stopped after the crew was off the rocket and the valve was cycled.

The delay allowed engineering teams to spend Tuesday evaluating the data.

When is the next launch window?

NASA and Boeing teams have given the green light to proceed with the launch of the Boeing Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station, scheduled for 12:25 p.m. EDT on Saturday, June 1.

ULA rolled the rocket, with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, back to its Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Wednesday, May 8, to begin the replacement. 

On May 11, the ULA team replaced a pressure regulation valve on the Atlas V rocket's Centaur upper-stage liquid oxygen tank. The team conducted re-pressurization and system purges and successfully tested the new valve, which functioned as expected.

On Tuesday, May 21, it was decided to forego a May 25th launch attempt for NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test. The team had been meeting for two consecutive days to assess the flight rationale, system performance, and redundancy.

What's the mission?

According to Boeing, this launch will demonstrate the Starliner's launch-to-landing capabilities and "prove the team’s readiness to achieve NASA certification and fly long-duration missions for the agency." 

Wilmore and Williams will participate in human research studies on the physiological impacts of space flight and carry some hardware for future studies. Because this is Boeing's Crew Flight Test (CFT), researchers will pay extra attention to how all systems work. 

When the Starliner eventually launches, Wilmore and Williams will take about 26 hours to reach the International Space Station (ISS), where they will stay for about a week.

Who is on board? Meet the crew

Astronauts Sunita "Suni" Williams, 58, and Barry "Butch" Wilmore, 61, are both retired Navy captains going to space for the third time. 

Williams spent 322 days on the International Space Station. She was a Navy test pilot and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and Florida Tech. 

Wilmore piloted the space shuttle mission STS-129 and commanded Expedition 42 on the International Space Station.  He was a Navy officer and pilot and graduated from Tennessee Tech and the University of Tennessee. 

As the CFT crew, the astronauts will test Starliner's capability to certify the spacecraft for future astronaut missions. As former Navy test pilots, both astronauts say it is an honor.

Click here to learn more about the crew. 

How to watch

FOX 35 News will stream the launch live on TV, our FOX 35 News App, FOX Local app, and our website's live stream here.

According to Visit Space Coast's website, there are rocket launch viewing venues in Brevard County for those who would like to see it in person. These include any of the beaches south of Port Canaveral, like Jetty Park, Cocoa Beach, and Sebastian Inlet State Park.

FOX Weather contributed to this report.