Indian-Origin Astronaut Sunita Williams Prepares For Third Space Mission Aboard Boeing Starliner

Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams is all set to embark on her third space mission, this time aboard the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which she helped design.

What Happened: The Boeing Starliner is scheduled to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at around 10 PM Saturday, reported NDTV. The launch was previously postponed on May 7 due to a technical issue.

If all goes according to plan, the Starliner will dock at the International Space Station’s Harmony module. Williams and her co-passenger, Butch Wilmore, will remain at the station for approximately a week to conduct tests on the Starliner spacecraft and its subsystems.

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Following this, NASA will work towards final certification of the transportation system for rotational missions to the space station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.

Williams, who has spent a total of 322 days in space, is a trailblazer for women in space exploration. She could potentially make history as the first woman to fly on a maiden crewed mission of a new space shuttle.

Why It Matters: The Boeing Starliner has been in the news recently. It was reported last month that the spacecraft was ready to carry NASA astronauts. However, the crewed test flight was postponed due to a technical issue, highlighting the continuing challenges in the space program. Williams’ upcoming mission will be crucial in proving the Starliner’s spaceworthiness and the team’s readiness to achieve NASA certification for long-duration missions.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.