BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — The Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft rolled out of the Vertical Integration Facility Wednesday ahead of its official launch from Cape Canaveral Friday.
“We’re finally ready to fly, and Friday morning everyone is going to be on the edge of their seat and ready for launch,” said Josh Barrett, with Boeing Communications.
Read: Falcon 9 rocket successfully launches from Cape Canaveral
The Starliner will lift off atop a ULA Atlas V rocket toward the International Space Station.
The orbital flight test will carry about 600 pounds of crew supplies and equipment to the station. However, its main purpose is to show the Starliner is ready to carry crews.
✅ #Starliner is ready for its inaugural flight!
— NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) December 18, 2019
This morning, @BoeingSpace's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft staked atop of a @ULALaunch #AtlasV rocket rolled out of the Vertical Integration Facility to Space Launch Complex 41.
🔗: https://t.co/edxb9ObuEN pic.twitter.com/J1QnOBLD8C
Data from the launch will be used to certify the Boeing’s spacecraft for carrying astronauts to and from ISS. Boeing and SpaceX are working toward restoring NASA’s capability to launch U.S. astronauts from U.S. soil as part of the agency’s commercial crew program.
“The Russians have been great partners in getting our astronauts to and from the station since the station since the shuttle quit flying,” Barrett said. “But, there’s something about being able to get in the car, go drive to Florida and see people go to space. And were’ going to be able to do that again."
Data will also be collected through a flight test dummy named Rosie, after Rosie the Riveter.
The forecast in Cape Canaveral on Friday calls for no rain and mostly cloudy skies.
In 2014, Boeing was awarded $4.2 billion by NASA to build, test and fly Starliner. Their contract includes this orbital flight test and a crewed test.
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