May 30, 2024
MEDIA ADVISORY: M24-073
NASA Updates
Coverage for Boeingâs Starliner Launch, Docking
Boeingâs CST-100 Starliner crew ship approaches the International Space Station on the companyâs Orbital Flight Test-2 mission before automatically docking to the Harmony moduleâs forward
port.
NASA will provide live coverage of prelaunch and launch activities for the agencyâs Boeing Crew Flight Test, which will
carry NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and
Suni Williams to and from the International Space Station.
Launch of the ULA (United Launch Alliance) Atlas V rocket and Boeing Starliner spacecraft is
targeted
for 12:25 p.m. EDT Saturday, June 1, from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Starliner will dock to the forward-facing port of the stationâs Harmony module at approximately 1:50 p.m., Sunday, June 2.
Wilmore and
Williams will remain at the space station for about a week to test the Starliner spacecraft and
its subsystems before NASA works to complete final certification of the transportation system for rotational missions to the orbiting laboratory as part of the agencyâs Commercial Crew Program.
NASA, Boeing, and ULA scrubbed the previous launch opportunity on May 6 due to a suspect oxygen relief valve on the Atlas V rocketâs Centaur second stage. Since,
teams have removed and replaced the valve, and completed an assessment of Starlinerâs performance and redundancy after discovering a small helium leak in the spacecraftâs service module.
As part of the helium leak investigation, NASA and Boeing
conducted a follow-on
propulsion system assessment
to understand potential helium system impacts to some Starliner return scenarios. NASA also completed a Delta-Agency Flight Test Readiness Review on May 29 to evaluate all work performed and flight rationale before proceeding toward launch.
The deadline for media accreditation for in-person coverage of this launch has passed. The agencyâs
media credentialing policy
is available online. For questions about media accreditation, please email:
ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov.
NASAâs mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):
Friday, May 31
1 p.m. â Prelaunch briefing with the following participants:
-
NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free
-
Steve Stich, manager, NASAâs Commercial Crew Program
-
Dana Weigel, manager, NASAâs International Space Station Program
-
NASA astronaut Mike Fincke
-
Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager, Commercial Crew Program, Boeing
-
Gary Wentz, vice president, Government and Commercial Programs, ULA
-
Mark Burger, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Coverage of the briefing will stream live on
NASA+, NASA Television, the
NASA app,
YouTube,
and the agencyâs website.
Media may ask questions in person and via phone. Limited auditorium space will be available for in-person participation.
For the dial-in number and passcode, media should contact the newsroom at NASAâs Kennedy Space Center in Florida no later than one hour before the start of the event at
ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
Saturday, June 1
8:15 a.m. â
Launch coverage begins on
NASA+,
NASA Television, the
NASA app,
YouTube,
and the agencyâs website.
12:25 p.m. â Launch
Launch coverage on NASA+ will end shortly after Starliner orbital insertion. NASA Television will provide
continuous coverage leading up to docking and through hatch opening and welcome
remarks.
2 p.m. â Postlaunch news conference with the following
participants:
-
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson
-
Ken Bowersox, associate administrator, NASAâs Space Operations Mission Directorate
-
Steve Stich, manager, NASAâs Commercial Crew Program
-
Dana Weigel, manager, NASAâs International Space Station Program
-
Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager, Commercial Crew Program, Boeing
-
Tory Bruno, president and CEO, ULA
Coverage of the postlaunch news conference will air live on
NASA+,
NASA Television, the NASA app,
YouTube,
and the agencyâs website.
Media may ask questions in person and via phone. Limited auditorium space will be available for in-person participation. For the dial-in number and passcode,
media should contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than three hours before the start of the event at
ksc-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov.
NASA+ will resume coverage and NASA Televisionâs public channel will break from in-orbit coverage to carry the postlaunch news conference. Mission operational coverage
will continue on NASA Televisionâs media channel and the agencyâs website. Once the postlaunch news conference is complete, NASA+ coverage will end, and mission coverage will continue on both NASA channels.
Sunday, June 2
11:15 a.m. â Arrival coverage resumes
on NASA+,
the NASA app, and
YouTube,
and continues on NASA Television and the agencyâs
website.
1:50 p.m. â Targeted docking to the forward-facing port of the stationâs Harmony module
3:35 p.m. â Hatch opening
3:55 p.m. â Welcome remarks
5 p.m. â Post-docking news conference at NASA's Johnson Space Center with the following participants:
-
NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free
-
Steve Stich, manager, NASAâs Commercial Crew Program
-
Dana Weigel, manager, NASAâs International Space Station Program
-
Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager, Commercial Crew Program, Boeing
Coverage of the post-docking news conference will air live on
NASA+, NASA Television, the
NASA app,
YouTube,
and the agencyâs website.
All times are estimates and could be adjusted based on operations after launch. Follow the
space station blog for the most up-to-date operations information.
Audio Only Coverage
Audio only of the news conferences and launch coverage will be carried on the NASA âVâ circuits, which may be accessed by
dialing 321-867-1220, -1240 or -7135. On launch day, "mission audio," countdown activities without NASA Television launch commentary, will be carried on 321-867-7135.
Launch audio also will be available on Launch Information Service and Amateur Television Systemâs VHF radio frequency 146.940
MHz and KSC Amateur Radio Clubâs UHF radio frequency 444.925 MHz, FM mode, heard within Brevard County on the Space Coast.
Live Video Coverage Prior to Launch
NASA will provide a live video feed of Space Launch Complex-41 approximately 48 hours prior to the planned liftoff of the mission. Pending unlikely
technical issues, the feed will be uninterrupted until the prelaunch broadcast begins on NASA Television, approximately four hours prior to launch. Once the feed is live, find it on NASA Kennedyâs YouTube: http://youtube.com/kscnewsroom.
NASA Website Launch Coverage
Launch day coverage of the mission will be available on the
agencyâs website. Coverage will include live streaming
and blog updates beginning no earlier than 8:15 a.m., June 1, as the countdown milestones occur. On-demand streaming video and photos of the launch will be available shortly after liftoff.
For questions about countdown coverage, contact the Kennedy newsroom at 321-867-2468. Follow countdown coverage on the
commercial crew
or the Crew Flight Test blog.
Attend Launch Virtually
Members of the public can
register
to attend this launch virtually. NASAâs virtual guest program for this mission also includes curated launch resources, notifications about related opportunities or changes,
and a stamp for the NASA virtual guest passport following launch.
Watch, Engage on Social Media
Let people know you're following the mission on X, Facebook, and Instagram by using the hashtags #Starliner and #NASASocial.
You can also stay connected by following and tagging these accounts:
X:
@NASA,
@NASAKennedy,
@NASASocial,
@Space_Station,
@ISS_Research,
@ISS
National Lab,
@BoeingSpace,
@Commercial_Crew
Facebook:
NASA,
NASAKennedy,
ISS,
ISS
National Lab
Instagram:
@NASA,
@NASAKennedy,
@ISS,
@ISSNationalLab
Coverage en Espanol
Did you know NASA has a Spanish section called NASA en Espanol? Check out NASA en Espanol on X, Instagram, Facebook, and
YouTube for additional mission coverage.
Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitar entrevistas en
español, comunÃquese con Antonia Jaramillo: 321-501-8425;
antonia.jaramillobotero@nasa.gov.
NASAâs Commercial Crew Program has delivered on its goal of safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from
the International Space Station from the United States through a partnership with American private industry. This partnership is changing the arc of human spaceflight history by opening access to low-Earth orbit and the International Space Station to more
people, science, and commercial opportunities. The space station remains the springboard to NASA's next great leap in space exploration, including future missions to the Moon and, eventually, to Mars.
For NASA's launch blog and more information about the mission, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew
-end-
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