Boeing Starliner rolls to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station ahead of May launch

Clyde Hughes
·2 min read
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Boeing rolls out its "Starliner" spacecraft from the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI
Boeing rolls out its "Starliner" spacecraft from the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI

April 16 (UPI) -- Boeing's Starliner spacecraft took a road trip Tuesday before its May 6 liftoff, moving from the Kennedy Space Center to the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Starliner boarded a transporter at the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center on Monday. Final checks were completed Tuesday for the short trip to the United Launch Alliance's Vertical Integration Facility at the Space Force station.

"The Atlas V will receive its precious cargo today as the Boeing Space Starliner spacecraft is transported to ULA's Vertical Integration Facility and lifted onto the rocket," ULA said on X.

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, the first passengers, posed in front of it.

"Big day for NASA," Wilmore said, according to Florida Today. "Big day for Boeing as we get over to the rocket and mate these things together."

NASA astronauts and crew members Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are on hand as Boeing rolls out its Starliner spacecraft from the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI
NASA astronauts and crew members Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are on hand as Boeing rolls out its Starliner spacecraft from the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI

Williams added: "[Boeing] made it happen and it's time to turn over from production to operation. We're ready to take it. We're ready."

In April, NASA and Boeing called off the crew test launch of Starliner that was originally set for May 1 until a review of the International Space Station operations was completed. Starlink will take Wilmore and Williams to the space station and dock with the Harmony module.

In April, NASA and Boeing called off the crew test launch of Starliner that was originally set for May 1 until a review of the International Space Station operations was completed. Starlink will take Wilmore and Williams to the space station and dock with the Harmony module. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI
In April, NASA and Boeing called off the crew test launch of Starliner that was originally set for May 1 until a review of the International Space Station operations was completed. Starlink will take Wilmore and Williams to the space station and dock with the Harmony module. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI