Boeing Launches Starliner Test Flight

Boeing made history as they launched the Starliner spacecraft from Cape Canaveral early this morning. The spacecraft was launched as a test flight headed for the International Space Station. While there is no crew, there is 595 pounds of cargo on board. It includes holiday gifts for the astronauts of Expedition 61, radiation testing hardware, and even a test dummy named Rosie. The spacecraft should reach its destination after 26 total hours of flight. It will spend about a week in space before making a short trip back to earth where it’ll land at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. This test flight is meant to serve as a dress rehearsal for crewed Starliner missions tentatively scheduled for sometime in 2020.