NASA test pilots Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams blasted off aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule for the International Space Station, marking the spacecraft’s first crewed flight. The journey, expected to take 25 hours, will see them arrive Thursday and spend just over a week at the station before returning to the U.S. on June 14. Following several delays and issues, the launch proceeded smoothly. Previous test flights faced significant challenges, including software and parachute problems, but Wilmore and Williams expressed full confidence in Boeing’s efforts. This launch follows multiple rocket-related delays and a minor helium leak deemed manageable.
