NASA will provide live coverage of prelaunch and launch activities for the agency’s 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 10:34 p.m. EDT on May 6, 2024 from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The flight test will carry Wilmore and Williams to the space station for about a week to test the Starliner spacecraft and its subsystems before NASA certifies the transportation system for rotational missions to the orbiting laboratory for the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.
Starliner will dock to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module at 12:48 a.m., Wednesday, May 8.
The deadline for media accreditation for in-person coverage of this launch has passed. The agency’s media credentialing policy is available online. For questions about media accreditation, please email: [email protected].
NASA’s mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):
Wednesday, May 1
1:30 p.m. – Virtual news conference at Kennedy with the flight test astronauts:
- NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore
- NASA astronaut Suni Williams
Coverage of the virtual news conference will stream live on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.
Media may ask questions via phone only. For the dial-in number and passcode, please contact the Kennedy newsroom no later than 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 1, at: [email protected].
Friday, May 3
12:30 p.m. – Prelaunch news conference at Kennedy (no earlier than one hour after completion of the Launch Readiness Review) with the following participants:
- NASA Administrator Bill Nelson
- Steve Stich, manager, of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
- Dana Weigel, manager, of NASA’s International Space Station Program
- Emily Nelson, chief flight director, NASA
- Jennifer Buchli, chief scientist, NASA’s International Space Station Program
- Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager, Commercial Crew Program, Boeing
- Gary Wentz, vice president, of Government and Commercial Programs, ULA
- Brian Cizek, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Coverage of the prelaunch news conference will stream live on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s 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 11:30 a.m., Friday, May 3, at [email protected].
3:30 p.m. – NASA Social panel live stream event at Kennedy with the following participants:
Coverage of the panel live stream event will stream live at @NASAKennedy on YouTube, @NASAKennedy on X, and @NASAKennedy on Facebook. Members of the public may ask questions online by posting questions to the YouTube, X, and Facebook livestreams using #AskNASA.
Monday, May 6
6:30 p.m. – Launch coverage begins on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.
10:34 p.m. – 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.
Tuesday, May 7
12 a.m. – Postlaunch news conference with the following participants:
NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy
- Ken Bowersox, associate administrator, NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate
- Steve Stich, manager, of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
- Dana Weigel, manager, of NASA’s International Space Station Program
- Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager, Commercial Crew Program, Boeing
- Gary Wentz, Vice President, Government and Commercial Programs, ULA
Coverage of the postlaunch news conference will air live on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.
NASA+ will resume coverage and NASA Television’s media channel will break from in-orbit coverage to carry the postlaunch news conference. Mission operational coverage will continue on NASA Television’s public channel and the agency’s website. Once the postlaunch news conference is complete, NASA+ coverage will end, and mission coverage will continue on both NASA channels.
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 10:30 p.m., Monday, May 6, at [email protected].
10:15 p.m. – Arrival coverage resumes on NASA+, the NASA app, and YouTube, and continues on NASA Television and the agency’s website.
Wednesday, May 8
12:48 a.m. – Targeted docking to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module
2:35 a.m. – Hatch opening
3:15 a.m. – Welcome remarks
4:15 a.m. – Post-docking news conference at Johnson with the following participants:
- NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free
- Steve Stich, manager, of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
- Dana Weigel, manager, of NASA’s 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 agency’s 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 “V” 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 System’s VHF radio frequency 146.940 MHz and KSC Amateur Radio Club’s 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.
NASA Website Launch Coverage
Launch day coverage of the mission will be available on the agency’s website. Coverage will include live streaming and blog updates beginning no earlier than 6:30 p.m., May 6 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 the Launch Virtually
Members of the public can register to attend this launch virtually. NASA’s 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.
Click here to learn more about Boeing's Starliner Spacecraft.
