What's happened
Boeing's Starliner spacecraft successfully launched from Cape Canaveral on June 5, 2024, carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station. The mission marks Starliner's first crewed flight after years of delays and technical issues. The spacecraft docked with the ISS on June 6, 2024. Meanwhile, SpaceX's Starship also achieved a successful launch and landing on June 6, 2024, demonstrating significant progress in its reusability goals. Both missions are crucial for NASA's future space exploration plans, including the Artemis program aimed at returning humans to the Moon.
What's behind the headline?
What the papers say
According to Ars Technica, the successful launch of Boeing's Starliner is a 'big moment for NASA and Boeing,' moving NASA closer to having two independent commercial spacecraft ferrying astronauts into low-Earth orbit. The New York Times highlights the significance of this milestone, noting that it comes 'seven years after the capsuleās original target date.' The Independent emphasizes the technical challenges overcome by Boeing, stating that 'the astronaut-carrying capsule has faced a series of issues that has meant its launch has been repeatedly delayed.' Meanwhile, SpaceX's achievements were also noted, with Ars Technica reporting that 'the fourth flight of Starship made major strides to bring us closer to a rapidly reusable future.'
How we got here
Boeing's Starliner program has faced numerous delays and technical challenges since its inception. Initially contracted by NASA in 2014 to provide an alternative to SpaceX's Crew Dragon for transporting astronauts to the ISS, Starliner experienced multiple setbacks, including software glitches and propulsion system issues. The first uncrewed test flight in 2019 was cut short due to software problems, necessitating a do-over mission in 2022. Despite these challenges, Boeing has persisted, culminating in the successful crewed launch on June 5, 2024. Concurrently, SpaceX has been making strides with its Starship program, aiming to develop a fully reusable spacecraft capable of carrying humans to the Moon and Mars. The recent successful launch and landing of Starship mark significant progress in this ambitious endeavor.
Go deeper
- What were the main technical challenges faced by Boeing's Starliner?
- How does the success of Starliner impact NASA's Artemis program?
- What are the future plans for SpaceX's Starship?
Common question
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The Boeing Company is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide.
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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the U.S. Federal Government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and space research.
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Boeing Starliner is a class of reusable crew capsules expected to transport crew to the International Space Station and to private space stations such as the proposed Bigelow Aerospace Commercial Space Station.
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Space Exploration Technologies Corp., trading as SpaceX, is an American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company headquartered in Hawthorne, California.
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The SpaceX Starship is a fully reusable super heavy-lift launch vehicle under development by SpaceX since 2012, as a self-funded private spaceflight project.
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Barry Eugene "Butch" Wilmore is a NASA astronaut and United States Navy test pilot. He has had two spaceflights, the first of which was an 11-day Space Shuttle mission in November 2009, to the International Space Station.
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Sunita Lyn Williams is an American astronaut and United States Navy officer who formerly held the records for most spacewalks by a woman and most spacewalk time for a woman.
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The International Space Station is a modular space station in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project between five participating space agencies: NASA, Roscosmos, JAXA, ESA, and CSA.
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Elon Reeve Musk FRS is an engineer, industrial designer, technology entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is the founder, CEO, CTO and chief designer of SpaceX; early investor, CEO and product architect of Tesla, Inc.; founder of The Boring Company; co-foun
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Atlas V is the fifth major version in the Atlas rocket family. It is an expendable launch system originally designed by Lockheed Martin, now being operated by United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Lockheed and Boeing.
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The United States of America, commonly known as the United States or America, is a country mostly located in central North America, between Canada and Mexico.