NASA, Boeing to launch Starliner's first crewed mission to space station

LOS ANGELES, May 30 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Boeing are targeting Saturday, June 1, for the launch of the first crewed mission of the Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS), according to NASA.

During a Flight Test Readiness Review Wednesday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, leaders from NASA, Boeing, and United Launch Alliance (ULA) verified launch readiness, including all systems, facilities, and teams supporting the test flight.

The Starliner spacecraft will launch on a ULA Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The flight test will carry NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the ISS. The duo are the first to launch aboard Boeing's Starliner to the space station as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program.

The astronauts will spend about a week at the orbiting laboratory before returning to Earth, according to NASA.

The spacecraft was previously scheduled to launch on May 6, but the launch attempt was scrubbed due to technical issues.