Boeing’s Starliner Successfully Completes First Crewed Mission to ISS

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has successfully completed its first crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS), marking a significant step forward for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on June 5, 2024, carrying two NASA astronauts on a historic test flight.

The successful mission comes after years of delays and technical setbacks that had raised doubts about Starliner’s viability as a commercial spacecraft. Unlike previous uncrewed test flights, this mission carried astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who manually piloted the spacecraft during parts of the journey to demonstrate its capabilities.

“This is a tremendous milestone for Boeing, NASA, and our entire space program,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “Having multiple commercial partners capable of ferrying astronauts to and from the ISS strengthens our ability to explore space.”

Starliner docked with the ISS approximately 24 hours after launch, where Wilmore and Williams spent a week conducting tests and interacting with the station’s crew. The spacecraft then successfully undocked and returned to Earth, landing safely in the New Mexico desert using parachutes and airbags.

The success of the mission places Starliner alongside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon as a viable option for NASA’s astronaut transportation needs. Since the retirement of the Space Shuttle program in 2011, NASA had relied solely on SpaceX for crewed missions, making Starliner’s operational readiness a key achievement in diversifying the agency’s transport capabilities.

Despite the victory, Boeing acknowledges that improvements are still needed. The mission encountered minor technical issues, including problems with propulsion and software glitches, which engineers will address before future operational flights.

With Starliner now proven as a reliable crew transport vehicle, NASA is expected to certify it for regular missions to the ISS. This milestone strengthens America’s commercial space sector and paves the way for more competition, innovation, and expanded capabilities in human spaceflight.

As NASA prepares for future lunar and deep-space missions, the successful crewed flight of Starliner brings the agency one step closer to achieving its long-term exploration goals.