NASA, Boeing to make 3rd attempt to launch Starliner, astronauts to ISS from Cape Canaveral
Look to the skies Wednesday morning: NASA and Boeing are slated to make a third attempt at launching the Starliner spacecraft into low-Earth orbit on its groundbreaking first crewed mission.
The Starliner crew flight test carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams is scheduled for liftoff at 10:52 a.m. EDT Wednesday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
"Teams at NASA and Boeing confirmed Monday the company’s Starliner spacecraft, ULA (United Launch Alliance) Atlas V rocket, and ground support equipment are healthy and ready for the next launch attempt," a NASA blog post announced.
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After taking flight from ULA's base at Launch Complex 41, Wilmore and Williams — who earned a master's degree from the Florida Institute of Technology — will head to the International Space Station to spend about a week aboard the microgravity laboratory.
The Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron predicts 90% odds of "go for launch" weather conditions for liftoff, with cumulus clouds posing the primary risk.
The National Weather Service forecast calls for mostly sunny skies Wednesday with a high near 89 and east wind of 5 to 10 mph at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Chance of precipitation is 30%, with thunderstorms possible after noon.
Crews scrubbed the first two Starliner launch attempts on May 6 and Saturday. The latter occurred with only 3 minutes and 50 seconds remaining in the countdown. The culprit: a computer ground launch sequencer.
For updates on the Starliner mission, visit floridatoday.com/space for FLORIDA TODAY Space Team live coverage starting about 6:30 a.m. The NASA TV broadcast will be posted on our blog starting about 6:45 a.m.
Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at [email protected]. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: After 2 scrubs, NASA to try again to launch Starliner to space station