Boeing’s Starliner Spacecraft Finally Launched Into Orbit After Many Failed Attempts — What’s Next?

Boeing's Starliner Spacecraft has successfully lifted off into space.

The popular aerospace company successfully launched its CST-100 Starliner off of NASA's Space Launch Complex 41 on the company's latest attempt on its Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) mission on May 19, according to Boeing's announcement.

The successful launch of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft marks its first successful launch since the company's first attempts nearly two and a half years ago, per The Verge.

Boeing Starliner Spacecraft Launch and Terrifying Glitch

Boeing's announcement mentioned that its Starliner spacecraft is on its way to the International Space Station (ISS) following its successful planned orbital insertion 31 minutes after its successful launch.

The spacecraft is expected to dock with the space station after a nearly 24-hour journey in low Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, bringing together the Starliner with a Boeing-built space station module.

However, the spacecraft almost missed its opportunity to reach the ISS due to a software glitch causing Starliner to think it was the wrong time of day. This glitch made the capsule incorrectly fire its thrusters, expending too much propellant, which is needed to get into the correct orbit to reach the ISS.

Luckily, the thruster firing seemed to go without accident today, and despite the glitch, Starliner is in its intended orbit.

Although the Starliner's OFT-2 mission is unmanned, it has an anthropomorphic test device named "Rosie the Rocketeer" aboard, representing the people who have shown"grit and determination while blazing a trail in human spaceflight history."

Aside from Rosie, the spacecraft also carries more than 800 pounds of cargo on the OFT-2, which consists of 500 pounds for NASA, such as food and crew preference items for the current Expedition crew members.

It also has a commemorative U.S. flag that will remain aboard the ISS until it returns to Earth on Starliner's Crew Flight Test.

Starliner also has several unique items onboard, including 14 items from 14 historically Black colleges and universities.

Mark Nappi, both the vice president and program manager of the Boeing Commercial Crew Program, said that the company had learned a lot about its spacecraft's capacity and its team's resilience since the first Starliner launch, per NASA's announcement. He also said that the company still has many operational testing ahead as it prepares for Starliner's rendezvous with the ISS.

"We're ready to demonstrate the system we've worked so hard on is capable of carrying astronauts to space," Nappi added.

Meanwhile, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson expressed his pride over the team formed by NASA, Boeing, and the United Launch Alliance, who have worked hard to see Starliner on its way to the ISS.

"Through adversity, our teams have continued to innovate for the benefit of our nation and all of humanity. I look forward to a successful end-to-end test of the Starliner spacecraft, which will help enable missions with astronauts aboard," Nelson said.

What's Next for Starliner?

NASA and Boeing will decide if Starliner is ready for human-crewed space missions depending on how Starliner's OFT-2 mission goes. Should Boeing get the go-ahead, Starliner's OFT-2 mission will turn into the first crewed flight test or CFT, which is still a test mission to see if Starliner is ready for manned missions.

NASA has already selected a group of astronauts for the mission, but the Administration said it would have to finalize its selection by late Summer.