Starliner crew continues station work and public engagements from space.
Crew Flight Test (CFT) Commander Butch Wilmore and Pilot Suni Williams continued supporting International Space Station activities on June 11, having worked through all Starliner flight test objectives and operational capability checkouts with the exception of those associated with the next phase of flight.
“Our experienced test pilots have been overwhelmingly positive of their flight on Starliner, and we can’t wait to learn more from them and the flight data to continue improving the vehicle,” said Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager, Boeing’s Commercial Crew Program.
Wilmore and Williams also spent Tuesday working on biomedical activities and gene sequence training. Wilmore took an inventory of the Human Research Facility checking items such as blood tube kits, saliva sample packs, and gloves. Williams studied procedures to collect microbe samples, extract their DNA, and sequence their genes to learn how to identify bacteria and fungi living in station water systems.
Meanwhile, the integrated NASA-Boeing Starliner Mission Management Team (SMMT) is monitoring the overall health of the spacecraft and adhering to mission flight rules.
Wilmore and Williams continued to share their experiences with the public, including Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, Tenn.
They also made a special call to colleagues who support their flight test back on Earth at Boeing, NASA, and United Launch Alliance. “It would’ve been great to take you all with us,” Wilmore told the team. “From launch, all the way up through the first day, this was one precise spacecraft. You would put in a point and it would go there and it would stay there. Much better than in the simulator. It was thrilling!”
For more Starliner highlights, follow @BoeingSpace on X, starlinerupdates.com and the CFT mission website.