ULA Atlas 5 to Launch Boeing Starliner-1 First Operational Mission to ISS
Summary: United Launch Alliance's Atlas 5 rocket will launch Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft on the Starliner-1 mission — its first operational crew rotation flight to the International Space Station. This marks the culmination of years of testing and positions Starliner alongside SpaceX Crew Dragon as a second U.S. crew transport provider.
Mission Background
Since its troubled OFT-1 demo flight in 2019, which failed to reach the ISS due to software issues, Starliner has undergone a long and challenging path to certification. The OFT-2 uncrewed test in 2022 succeeded, but the 2024 Crew Flight Test encountered helium leaks and thruster problems, forcing the crew to return on SpaceX Crew Dragon instead.
Starliner-1 represents Boeing's long-awaited entry into operational crew service for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, establishing a dual-provider crew rotation capability with SpaceX.