Starliner, Boeing’s new passenger spacecraft, successfully launched on Thursday evening… finally. The test program is already two and a half years behind schedule after a failed launch in 2019, as there have been persistent problems with Starliner, which Boeing developed with NASA to send astronauts into space. According to Boeing, Starliner is flying without a crew in its intended orbit and en route to the International Space Station, where it’s meant to land at 7:10 p.m. ET Friday. The spacecraft’s trip is intended to prove that Starliner can perform all of the basic tasks involved in a spaceflight mission, but the successful launch does not indicate complete victory, as the vehicle must now dock at the International Space Station, undock, and safely land at home.
