Starliner Updates

Starliner Spacecraft Readied for Crew Flight Test

The Starliner team works to finalize the mate of the crew module and new service module for the Crew Flight Test that will take NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams to and from the International Space Station. (John Grant photo)

The Starliner spacecraft for the Crew Flight Test (CFT) is now complete, following the mating of its crew and service modules.

Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner team completed the production milestone on Thursday, Jan. 19, in advance of the planned April launch with NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams to the International Space Station.

During the operation, a crane lifted the reusable crew module atop the brand-new service module in the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to become a fully operational spacecraft.

“Every member of our team is invested in giving Butch and Suni a great ride to the International Space Station,” said Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager for the Starliner program. “We’re building off the successes and lessons learned from Orbital Flight Test-2, and all of the pieces for CFT are coming together.”

With a completed spacecraft, teams will continue outfitting the crew module’s interior, conducting integrated vehicle testing and performing final spacecraft checkouts. The spacecraft will then undergo weight and center of gravity testing prior to rolling out of the Starliner factory en route to its United Launch Alliance Atlas V launch complex.

CFT is targeted to launch in April 2023, in accordance with the International Space Station visiting vehicle schedule.