Starliner progressing towards final countdown ahead of first crew flight
At 9:08 a.m. ET on Wednesday, June 5, Boeing engineers and technicians closed the hatch to the CST-100 Starliner after ensuring NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were safely secured in their seats ahead of launch. Mission operators will conduct leak checks on the capsule to prove the hatch has a tight seal and is holding pressure.
The joint Boeing-United Launch Alliance pad team will depart the launch pad and to join emergency response teams stationed a safe distance away until after liftoff. Wilmore and Williams are continuing their prelaunch procedures in coordination with launch control teams in Houston and Florida.
The next major milestone ahead of launch will be polling to resume the T-4 minute countdown after the extended, planned hold to allow for crew ingress and final closeouts. Liftoff is scheduled for 10:52 a.m. ET.