First Manned Mission Of US Starliner Vehicle To ISS Planned For November 1 - Source

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th April, 2019) The first manned flight of the US Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) is planned for November 1, a source in the aerospace industry told Sputnik on Saturday.

In 2011, NASA shut down its Space Shuttle program of Earth-to-orbit crew and cargo missions. Since then, only Russian spacecraft Soyuz have been flying to the ISS. However, US space agency NASA is currently developing its Commercial Crew Program in cooperation with SpaceX and Boeing, the manufacturer of Starliner, to launch its spacecraft to the ISS.

"The first crewed launch of the Starliner spacecraft is planned for November 1. It will reach the ISS a day after the launch and will remain docked to it until spring 2020," the source said.

The vehicle is planned to bring the crew consisting of Michael Fincke, Nicole Aunapu Mann and Christopher Ferguson to the orbital outpost.

NASA has said it is planning to conduct an unmanned test flight of Starliner in August, while the first manned mission is planned to be launched to the ISS at the end of the year.