Boeing and NASA launch Starliner spacecraft

On May 19, an Atlas V launch vehicle carrying a Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral. It has already reached the correct orbit required for docking with International space station tomorrow night.

The ship carries 360 kg of payload. There is no crew, but in the future it can deliver up to 7 astronauts. The reusable capsule will also allow passengers to return back.

This mission took place almost two and a half years after the unsuccessful first launch, when the flight did not go according to plan - then the Starliner did not reach the desired altitude.

The successful launch into orbit now marks the start of the decisive Starliner test, which will take place during the next week in space and will help confirm the readiness of the capsule to deliver people to space.

In the near future, the craft will need to automatically dock with the International Space Station, using its onboard sensors to guide itself to the Harmony module's open port. He then has to disconnect and return home, landing safely on Earth.

The Starliner is a privately owned spacecraft developed by Boeing in collaboration with NASA, primarily to help ferry the agency's astronauts to and from the International Space Station. The craft is one of two vehicles, along with SpaceX's Crew Dragon, that NASA helped fund to outsource the delivery of astronauts to private companies.

Recording of Starliner launch broadcast.