On Wednesday, Boeing successfully launched astronauts aboard a Starliner capsule destined for the International Space Station (ISS).
NASA test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams became the first to fly the new spacecraft. Liftoff was scheduled for 10:52 am (1452 GMT) from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, with a planned stay of about one week at the station.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk extended his best wishes to Boeing and the crew for a successful launch.
The previous attempt on Saturday was dramatically aborted with less than four minutes remaining in the countdown due to the ground launch computer entering an automatic hold. This issue was traced to a faulty power supply source connected to the computer, which has since been replaced.
Additionally, a problematic valve on the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket thwarted an earlier attempt on May 6, just hours before launch.
In both cases, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams were prepared for liftoff but were forced to return to quarantine in their quarters.
The two ex-Navy test pilots might have felt a sense of déjà vu as they waved goodbye to their families on Wednesday morning and headed to the astrovan that transported them to the launchpad.
The Starliner program has faced years of safety concerns and delays, and a successful mission would provide Boeing with a much-needed respite from the intense scrutiny over the safety of its passenger jets.
NASA aims to certify Boeing as a second commercial operator to transport crews to the ISS, a role SpaceX has been fulfilling for the US space agency for four years.
Both Boeing and SpaceX received multibillion-dollar contracts in 2014 to develop crew capsules following the end of the Space Shuttle program, which left the US reliant on Russian rockets for space travel. Despite Boeing’s long history and initial favoritism, its program has significantly lagged behind.
