Third time’s a charm as Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft blasts into orbit (NYSE:BA)
Joe Raedle/Getty Images News
Following two previous failed efforts, Boeing (NYSE:BA) and NASA successfully launched the long-delayed Starliner space capsule on Thursday on a test flight without astronauts.
The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launched the craft from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:54 p.m. ET for a one-day cruise to the International Space station.
The ship is scheduled to test multiple docking technologies that Boeing (BA) was unable to perform during a 2019 flight that was cut short by software flaws.
Boeing (BA) returned a different capsule to the launch pad last summer, but corroded valves halted the countdown, resulting in another round of repairs; the program’s many delays and repairs have cost the company ~$600M.
If Starliner reaches the space station and everything else goes well, 2-3 NASA test pilots could fly later this year or early next year.
NASA is eager for a second transport option for its commercial crew program, but Boeing (BA) is playing catch-up to Elon Musk’s SpaceX (SPACE), which has flown four astronaut rotations to the space station, most recently on April 27.
SpaceX reportedly is raising money in a new funding round that would value the company at $125B.
