CNN

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Boeing’s spaceflight program may reach a significant milestone Monday night with the launch of its Starliner spacecraft, carrying — at long last — two NASA astronauts to orbit.


The mission, dubbed the Crew Flight Test, could take off as soon as Monday at 10:34 p.m. ET from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.


Live coverage of the event will stream on NASA channels beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET Monday, according to the space agency.


The occasion is a decade in the making — the culmination of Boeing’s efforts to develop a spacecraft worthy of ferrying astronauts to and from the International Space Station under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.


Development hang-ups, test flight problems and other costly setbacks have slowed Starliner’s path to the launchpad. Meanwhile, Boeing’s rival under NASA’s commercial crew program — SpaceX — has become the go-to transportation provider for the space agency’s astronauts.


Boeing, NASA’s longtime partner, may finally catch up to SpaceX with astronaut launch

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Now, NASA and Boeing have finally deemed the Starliner spacecraft ready for its ultimate test: allowing astronauts to test-drive the vehicle in outer space.


Veteran NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore will be on board Monday’s mission, riding Starliner to the International Space Station for a weeklong stay.


Throughout their flight, Wilmore and Williams will conduct a series of tests, including briefly taking over the controls of the autonomous spacecraft and evaluating how the vehicle operates for astronauts.


A smooth flight could be a winning moment for Boeing’s spaceflight program and the company overall, which has been in the hotseat due to issues with its commercial airplane division.


Here’s what to know about Starliner’s journey before its historic crewed test flight.


The human component

Officials at Boeing have sought to make clear that Starliner operates separately from the sector at the company responsible for commercial aircraft. And the Starliner team’s primary interest is in ensuring a smooth test mission and crew safety, according to Mark Nappi, vice president and Starliner program manager at Boeing.


“We have humans flying on this vehicle. We always take that so seriously,” Nappi said during a news briefing last week. “I spent my career in this business, and it always has been the top of the list.”