Boeing's Starliner set for first crewed launch to International Space Station

NEWS WIRES

6 May 2024 at 6:46 am·1-min read

After years of delays, Boeing's Starliner capsule is set to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) Monday, a milestone for the US aerospace giant and NASA.

The flight, a final test before Starliner takes up regular service for the space agency, is critical for Boeing, whose reputation has suffered of late due to safety issues with its passenger jets.

For NASA, the stakes are also high: Having a second option for human space flight in addition to SpaceX's Dragon vehicles is "really important," said Dana Weigel, manager of the agency's International Space Station program.

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are set to take off from Cape Canaveral at 10:34 pm Monday (0234 GMT Tuesday), if favorable weather predicted for the launch continues to hold.

Starliner will be propelled into orbit by an Atlas V rocket made by United Launch Alliance, a Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint venture.

Once in space, one of Wilmore and Williams's tasks will be to temporarily pilot the craft manually, in a test.

The astronauts, both Navy-trained space program veterans, have each been to the ISS twice, traveling once on a shuttle and then aboard a Russian Soyuz vessel.

"It's going to be like going back home," Williams said ahead of the launch.

(AFP)

Futurism
Scientists Identify Seven Star Systems That May Be Hosting Alien Megastructures
Astronomers have identified seven stars in our galaxy that could potentially host a Dyson sphere — a hypothetical megastructure an alien civilization could build around its home's host star or black hole to capture most of its power in the form of radiation. The concept, first proposed by theoretical physicist Freeman Dyson in 1960, […]
CNN
DNA helps link killings of 4 young women to an American man who lived in Canada illegally
After 48 years of investigation, Alberta Royal Canadian Mounted Police linked the deaths of four young women killed in the Calgary area in the 1970s to one man – a serial sexual offender who they believe may have committed more violent crimes until his death.
CNN
Study proves black holes have a ‘plunging region,’ just as Einstein predicted
Astronomers say they have for the first time observed an area of a black hole predicted by Albert Einstein about 10,000 light-years from Earth.
CNN
Highly anticipated Boeing Starliner launch gets a new target date
Days after Starliner teams reported a small helium leak in the spacecraft’s service module, the target date for the highly anticipated mission has moved once more.
CBC
New exhibit at Royal Tyrrell Museum features fossils from beginning of life on Earth
It's a new look into some very, very, very old ways of life — like, 4.6 billion years ago.The Royal Tyrrell Museum has a new exhibit that explores fossils from the Precambrian era. It explains how those fossils evolved in the Cambrian era about 500 million years ago, when the surface of the Earth cooled down, oceans began to form, and the first life appeared. The exhibit officially opened Friday. The new exhibit, called First Life, will feature some of the oldest known fossils, including the ear
Storyful
SpaceX's Falcon 9 Lights Up Sky Over West Palm Beach
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket was spotted lighting up the sky over West Palm Beach, Florida, on Friday, May 17.Falcon 9 completed its 21st launch and landing, a record for SpaceX for reusability, and delivered 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Florida, the company said. Credit: Rudi Bester via Storyful
CNN
The evolutionary twist that could have helped dinosaurs rule Earth
This week, learn when warm-blooded dinosaurs first roamed, Harvard and Google scientists unveil a map of the human brain, AI helps decode whale calls, and more.
The Guardian
Sweetcorn with squash, radishes next to parsnips: interplanting means more room to grow
Mixing growing speeds and heights is a great way of maximising your available garden space
Business Insider
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin is about to fly people to space for the first time in 2 years. Here's why it took so long.
Jeff Bezos's space company Blue Origin hasn't launched a crew in nearly 2 years and that delay may harm its business in the space tourism community.
CNN
Newly mapped lost branch of the Nile could help solve long-standing pyramid mystery
A now-extinct stretch of the Nile once flowed near Egypt’s Great Pyramid and likely played a key role in the construction of ancient monuments, according to new research.
The Telegraph
Watch: Rare deep-sea squid attacks camera
A unusual red squid has been filmed plummeting to the darkest depths of the sea and snatching an underwater camera in its tentacles before disappearing.
Bristol Live
Northern Lights alert, display may be visible in UK again on Saturday
A new red alert has been issued for May 18 with displays visible anywhere in the UK
The Conversation
Artificial light lures migrating birds into cities, where they face a gauntlet of threats
Migrating birds need stopover locations en route where they can rest and feed. A new study shows that artificial light draws them away from sites they would normally use and into risky zones.
OK! Magazine
Coronation Street star says 'nothing can be done' as he gives sad health update
Coronation Street actor Rob Mallard, who plays Daniel Osbourne on the cobbles, has opened up about his health on BBC's Morning Live and said 'nothing can be done'
Liverpool Echo
Paddy McGuinness 'gutted' after leaving the UK behind
The former Top Gear host has swapped England for Sweden
Sky News
Yvette Fielding says she was assaulted by Rolf Harris on Blue Peter and left alone with Jimmy Savile
Blue Peter's youngest ever presenter has claimed disgraced entertainer Rolf Harris sexually assaulted her when she was a teenage host of the children's show. Yvette Fielding, who joined the long-running BBC programme aged 18, told the Sun newspaper how the paedophile predator squeezed and patted her bottom after finding herself alone with him in a TV studio. The now 55-year-old also recalled an uncomfortable experience with "grotesque" Jimmy Savile, who was later revealed to be one of Britain's most prolific sex offenders.
Yorkshire Live
BBC Garden Rescue star Lee Burkhill issues warning over his new look amid Charlie Dimmock bra row
BBC Garden Rescue star Lee Burkhill spoke out as he sports a new look in the garden for summer
Yorkshire Live
UK hit by highly contagious virus with 'don't go to work or school' warning issued
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued an urgent warning as cases of the highly contagious norovirus have spiked
The Telegraph
Prince Harry just doesn’t get America, says Don McLean
The American Pie singer Don McLean said Prince Harry “just doesn’t get America” after Harry reported feeling underwhelmed by a visit to Elvis Presley’s home, Graceland.
Birmingham Live
Anne Diamond rushed to hospital after paramedics 'went white' when they saw her
The GB News broadcaster has revealed she was rushed to hospital amid a terrifying health scare and gave viewers an update on her condition today (Saturday May 18).

Latest stories