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Boeing's Starliner set to launch to space station this week

Published : 28 Jul 2021, 00:46

DF News Desk

The Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft is secured atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, the United States, on July 17, 2021. File Photo: Boeing via Xinhua.

NASA and Boeing are targeting launch of the Starliner spacecraft on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on Friday, reported Xinhua.

The launch was scheduled at 2:53 p.m. Eastern Day Time Friday from Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, according to NASA.

About 31 minutes after launch, Starliner will reach its preliminary orbit. It is scheduled to dock to the International Space Station (ISS) at 3:06 p.m. Saturday.

Various tests have been completed to ensure all systems between the rocket and spacecraft are communicating and functioning properly before rollout to the pad, said Boeing on Tuesday.

The integrated Starliner and the Atlas V is set to rollout to the launch pad on Wednesday.

Starliner's last mission was in December 2019, when it failed to dock with the ISS due to an orbit insertion anomaly.