NASA, Boeing to make 3rd attempt to launch Starliner, astronauts to ISS from Cape Canaveral

Rick Neale, Florida Today
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Look to the skies Wednesday morning: NASA and Boeing are slated to make a third attempt at launching the Starliner spacecraft into low-Earth orbit on its groundbreaking first crewed mission.

The Starliner crew flight test carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams is scheduled for liftoff at 10:52 a.m. EDT Wednesday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

"Teams at NASA and Boeing confirmed Monday the company’s Starliner spacecraft, ULA (United Launch Alliance) Atlas V rocket, and ground support equipment are healthy and ready for the next launch attempt," a NASA blog post announced.

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After taking flight from ULA's base at Launch Complex 41, Wilmore and Williams — who earned a master's degree from the Florida Institute of Technology — will head to the International Space Station to spend about a week aboard the microgravity laboratory.

The Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron predicts 90% odds of "go for launch" weather conditions for liftoff, with cumulus clouds posing the primary risk.

Boeing's Starliner is ready for its 3rd launch attempt to carry two NASA astronauts on a mission to the International Space Station on Wednesday after two previous scrubs.
Boeing's Starliner is ready for its 3rd launch attempt to carry two NASA astronauts on a mission to the International Space Station on Wednesday after two previous scrubs.

The National Weather Service forecast calls for mostly sunny skies Wednesday with a high near 89 and east wind of 5 to 10 mph at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Chance of precipitation is 30%, with thunderstorms possible after noon.

Crews scrubbed the first two Starliner launch attempts on May 6 and Saturday. The latter occurred with only 3 minutes and 50 seconds remaining in the countdown. The culprit: a computer ground launch sequencer.

For updates on the Starliner mission, visit floridatoday.com/space for FLORIDA TODAY Space Team live coverage starting about 6:30 a.m. The NASA TV broadcast will be posted on our blog starting about 6:45 a.m.

Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at Rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1

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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: After 2 scrubs, NASA to try again to launch Starliner to space station