{"id":10130,"date":"2024-04-25T21:19:31","date_gmt":"2024-04-25T13:19:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/nasa-astronauts-arrive-at-kennedy-space-center-ahead-of-boeing-starliner-crew-flight-test\/"},"modified":"2024-04-25T21:19:31","modified_gmt":"2024-04-25T13:19:31","slug":"nasa-astronauts-arrive-at-kennedy-space-center-ahead-of-boeing-starliner-crew-flight-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/nasa-astronauts-arrive-at-kennedy-space-center-ahead-of-boeing-starliner-crew-flight-test\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA astronauts arrive at Kennedy Space Center ahead of Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test"},"content":{"rendered":"
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NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore (left) and Suni Williams (right) pose by their mission patch following their arrival at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in the run-up to the Starliner Crew Flight Test on May 6. Image: Adam Bernstein\/Spaceflight Now<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For the first time since the end of the shuttle program, a trio of T-38 jets cruised down the former Shuttle Landing Facility carrying astronauts who were preparing for launch. As they climbed out of their aircraft, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, each donned back ball caps emblazoned with \u201cCrew Flight Test,\u201d the name of their forthcoming mission.<\/p>\n

The pair will serve as the commander and pilot respectively as they fly Boeing\u2019s Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station no earlier than May 6. As the mission name suggests, this will be the first time the spacecraft ferries astronauts to the orbiting outpost.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe love Florida. We love Kennedy Space Center because this is where you launch humans into space,\u201d Wilmore said. \u201cAnd the opportunity finally to fly in here again in our T-38s and we know that in less than two weeks, the next flight we take, we\u2019ll be laying on our backs this time when we launch into the heavens and we leave this planet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wilmore and Williams were joined by some of the T-38 training crew as well as fellow NASA astronauts Mike Fincke, the backup astronaut for the CFT mission, and Jessica Wittner, a member of the class of the 2021 astronaut candidate class.<\/p>\n

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NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams taxi in their T-38 jet, coming off the runway at the Launch and Landing Facility on April 25, 2024. Image: Michael Cain\/Spaceflight Now<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With them in spirit was the last crew to fly a test mission for NASA: Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley of the SpaceX Demo-2 flight. During their remarks to the press on Thursday, Williams said they offered words of comfort.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a matter of fact, I just got a text from Bob last night and he was pretty pumped that we\u2019re coming down here,\u201d Williams said. \u201cThe one thing we were chatting about is May 6 is our launch day. There\u2019s a lot of things between now and then. May 6 isn\u2019t magical and he said, \u2018If you get a scrub it actually is a little bit nice because it sort of takes the pressure off.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Standing in front of their T-38\u2019s Williams reflected on what was going through her mind as they flew over KSC and by the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41 where they will launch in less than two weeks.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was part of the original cadre that got to put the topping piece on the crew access arm for pad 41 that we\u2019re going to fly out of,\u201d Williams said. \u201cAnd to see not only see that pad transition while they were flying other Atlas 5\u2019s, doing other payloads, to have them turn that into a human-rated pad is just incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n

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I had the privilege of flying with the #Starliner<\/a> prime crew to our launch pad today in our amazing T-38 training aircraft. You can see pad 41 and the #ULA<\/a>\u2019s Vertical Integration Facility where the mighty #AtlasV<\/a> and #Boeing<\/a>\u2019s Starliner await launch. Go Atlas. Go Centaur.\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/ddXHomHqxY<\/a><\/p>\n

— Col. Mike Fincke (@AstroIronMike) April 25, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n