NASA duo are first astronauts launched in Boeing’s Starliner

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A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launched Boeing’s Starliner craft into space just before 11 a.m. Wednesday from Cape Canaveral, Fla. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were aboard the capsule and are expected to spend one day in orbit before docking at the International Space Station. The flight is the first manned mission for Boeing’s new craft. The company called off two earlier launch attempts after technical issues.

Why is this launch significant? In 2014, NASA allocated Commercial Crew Program funding to Boeing and SpaceX to develop spacecraft to carry astronauts to the International Space Station. SpaceX’s Crew Dragon was certified for flight in 2020 while Boeing was still developing the Starliner craft.

Dig deeper: Read Heather Frank’s report in Beginnings about why the United States is going back to the moon.

Lauren Canterberry

Lauren Canterberry is a reporter for WORLD. She graduated from the World Journalism Institute and the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism, both in 2017. She worked as a local reporter in Texas and now lives in Georgia with her husband.