Boeing’s Starliner to launch NASA astronauts after years of delays

>> H AP PY M ON DA Y. >> HAPPY MONDAY. >> HAPPY MONDAY. GO OD M OR NI NG T O YO U AS W EL L. GOOD MORNING TO YOU AS WELL. GOOD MORNING TO YOU AS WELL. AL L EY ES O NC E AG AI N ON B OE IN G ALL EYES ONCE AGAIN ON BOEING ALL EYES ONCE AGAIN ON BOEING TO DA Y. TODAY. TODAY. TH AT ‘S B EC AU SE I TS S TA RL IN ER THAT’S BECAUSE ITS STARLINER THAT’S BECAUSE ITS STARLINER SP AC ES HI P IS S ET T O LA UN CH SPACESHIP IS SET TO LAUNCH SPACESHIP IS SET TO LAUNCH TO NI GH T CA RR YI NG A ST RO NA UT S FO R TONIGHT CARRYING ASTRONAUTS FOR TONIGHT CARRYING ASTRONAUTS FOR TH E FI RS T TI ME A FT ER A S ER IE S OF THE FIRST TIME AFTER A SERIES OF THE FIRST TIME AFTER A SERIES OF EN GI NE ER IN G SE TB AC KS A ND D EL AY S. ENGINEERING SETBACKS AND DELAYS. ENGINEERING SETBACKS AND DELAYS. NB C NE WS S EN IO R CO RR ES PO ND EN T NBC NEWS SENIOR CORRESPONDENT NBC NEWS SENIOR CORRESPONDENT TO M CO ST EL LO H AS M AD E HI S WA Y TO TOM COSTELLO HAS MADE HIS WAY TO TOM COSTELLO HAS MADE HIS WAY TO FL OR ID A. FLORIDA. FLORIDA. HE ‘S A T TH E KE NN ED Y SP AC E CE NT ER HE’S AT THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER HE’S AT THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER VI SI TO RS ‘ CO MP LE X. VISITORS’ COMPLEX. VISITORS’ COMPLEX. TO M, G OO D MO RN IN G TO Y OU , FI RS T TOM, GOOD MORNING TO YOU, FIRST TOM, GOOD MORNING TO YOU, FIRST OF A LL , WH AT A RE W E EX PE CT IN G OF ALL, WHAT ARE WE EXPECTING OF ALL, WHAT ARE WE EXPECTING TO DA Y, A ND W AL K US T HR OU GH W HY TODAY, AND WALK US THROUGH WHY TODAY, AND WALK US THROUGH WHY TH IS P AR TI CU LA R LA UN CH H AS T AK EN THIS PARTICULAR LAUNCH HAS TAKEN THIS PARTICULAR LAUNCH HAS TAKEN SO L ON G. SO LONG. SO LONG. >> R ep or te r: T HI S WA S SU PP OS ED >> Reporter: THIS WAS SUPPOSED >> Reporter: THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO H AP PE N BA CK I N 20 20 B UT TO HAPPEN BACK IN 2020 BUT TO HAPPEN BACK IN 2020 BUT BO EI NG H AS H AD Y EA RS O F IN D BOEING HAS HAD YEARS OF IND BOEING HAS HAD YEARS OF IND SP AC EX , IT S AR CH R IV AL , SPACEX, ITS ARCH RIVAL, SPACEX, ITS ARCH RIVAL, EN GI NE ER IN G MI SS TE PS , AN D CL OS E ENGINEERING MISSTEPS, AND CLOSE ENGINEERING MISSTEPS, AND CLOSE CA LL S. CALLS. CALLS. A SI MI LA R PR OB LE M WE ‘V E SE EN A SIMILAR PROBLEM WE’VE SEEN A SIMILAR PROBLEM WE’VE SEEN PL AY O UT W IT H BO EI NG ‘S PLAY OUT WITH BOEING’S PLAY OUT WITH BOEING’S CO MM ER CI AL A IR LI NE D IV IS IO N. COMMERCIAL AIRLINE DIVISION. COMMERCIAL AIRLINE DIVISION. BU T TH E CO UN TD OW N IS O N FO R TH IS BUT THE COUNTDOWN IS ON FOR THIS BUT THE COUNTDOWN IS ON FOR THIS HI GH -S TA KE S MI SS IO N WI TH HIGH-STAKES MISSION WITH HIGH-STAKES MISSION WITH AS TR ON AU TS O N BO AR D TH IS B RA ND ASTRONAUTS ON BOARD THIS BRAND ASTRONAUTS ON BOARD THIS BRAND NE W BO EI NG S PA CE SH IP . NEW BOEING SPACESHIP. NEW BOEING SPACESHIP. VE TE RA N AS TR ON AU TS A ND T ES T VETERAN ASTRONAUTS AND TEST VETERAN ASTRONAUTS AND TEST PI LO TS S UN IT A WI LL IA MS A ND B UT CH PILOTS SUNITA WILLIAMS AND BUTCH PILOTS SUNITA WILLIAMS AND BUTCH WI LL MO RE L IF T OF F AT 1 0: 40 P .M . WILLMORE LIFT OFF AT 10:40 P.M. WILLMORE LIFT OFF AT 10:40 P.M. TH EI R ST AR LI NE R SP AC ES HI P IS THEIR STARLINER SPACESHIP IS THEIR STARLINER SPACESHIP IS SI TT IN G ON T OP O F AN A TL AS 5 SITTING ON TOP OF AN ATLAS 5 SITTING ON TOP OF AN ATLAS 5 RO CK ET A T TH E CA PE C AN AV ER AL ROCKET AT THE CAPE CANAVERAL ROCKET AT THE CAPE CANAVERAL SP AC E FO RC E ST AT IO N. SPACE FORCE STATION. SPACE FORCE STATION. DU RI NG A N UN CR EW ED T ES T FL IG HT DURING AN UNCREWED TEST FLIGHT DURING AN UNCREWED TEST FLIGHT BA CK I N 20 19 , A SO FT WA RE M IS TA KE BACK IN 2019, A SOFTWARE MISTAKE BACK IN 2019, A SOFTWARE MISTAKE CO ST S TA RL IN ER ‘S I NT ER NA L CL OC KS COST STARLINER’S INTERNAL CLOCKS COST STARLINER’S INTERNAL CLOCKS TO B E OF F BY 1 1 HO UR S. TO BE OFF BY 11 HOURS. TO BE OFF BY 11 HOURS. MI SS IO N CO NT RO L FO RC ED T O AB OR T MISSION CONTROL FORCED TO ABORT MISSION CONTROL FORCED TO ABORT TH AT M IS SI ON , IT L AT ER L EA RN ED THAT MISSION, IT LATER LEARNED THAT MISSION, IT LATER LEARNED TH AT T HE S TA RS HI P CO UL D HA VE THAT THE STARSHIP COULD HAVE THAT THE STARSHIP COULD HAVE AC TU AL LY C RA SH ED T HE S TA RL IN ER ACTUALLY CRASHED THE STARLINER ACTUALLY CRASHED THE STARLINER CO UL D HA VE C RA SH ED I NT O TH E COULD HAVE CRASHED INTO THE COULD HAVE CRASHED INTO THE SP AC E ST AT IO N. SPACE STATION. SPACE STATION. LA ST J UN E MO RE D EL AY S, E NG IN EE RS LAST JUNE MORE DELAYS, ENGINEERS LAST JUNE MORE DELAYS, ENGINEERS DI SC OV ER ED F LA MM AB LE T AP E IN SI DE DISCOVERED FLAMMABLE TAPE INSIDE DISCOVERED FLAMMABLE TAPE INSIDE TH E CR EW C AP SU LE A ND T HE THE CREW CAPSULE AND THE THE CREW CAPSULE AND THE PA RA CH UT E ST RA PS T HE Y WE RE PARACHUTE STRAPS THEY WERE PARACHUTE STRAPS THEY WERE CO NC ER NE D MI GH T NO T HO LD O N CONCERNED MIGHT NOT HOLD ON CONCERNED MIGHT NOT HOLD ON RE EN TR Y. REENTRY. REENTRY. TH E GO OD N EW S, T HO UG H, S TA RL IN ER THE GOOD NEWS, THOUGH, STARLINER THE GOOD NEWS, THOUGH, STARLINER DI D HA VE A S UC CE SS FU L UN CR EW ED DID HAVE A SUCCESSFUL UNCREWED DID HAVE A SUCCESSFUL UNCREWED CA RG O MI SS IO N TO T HE S TA TI ON CARGO MISSION TO THE STATION CARGO MISSION TO THE STATION BA CK I N 20 22 . BACK IN 2022. BACK IN 2022. BO TH W IL LI AM S AN D WI LL MO RE BOTH WILLIAMS AND WILLMORE BOTH WILLIAMS AND WILLMORE IN SI ST T HE S HI P IS R EA DY . INSIST THE SHIP IS READY. INSIST THE SHIP IS READY. TH EY ‘R E CO NF ID EN T TH AT I T IS THEY’RE CONFIDENT THAT IT IS THEY’RE CONFIDENT THAT IT IS SA FE , AN D AL SO N AS A HA S SA ID I T SAFE, AND ALSO NASA HAS SAID IT SAFE, AND ALSO NASA HAS SAID IT WI LL N EV ER F LY A M IS SI ON W IT H WILL NEVER FLY A MISSION WITH WILL NEVER FLY A MISSION WITH AS TR ON AU TS I F IT ‘S N OT S UR E IT ‘S ASTRONAUTS IF IT’S NOT SURE IT’S ASTRONAUTS IF IT’S NOT SURE IT’S SA FE . SAFE. SAFE. CR AI G? CRAIG? CRAIG? >> W HA T’ S TH E GO AL O F TH IS >> WHAT’S THE GOAL OF THIS >> WHAT’S THE GOAL OF THIS PA RT IC UL AR L AU NC H, T OM ? PARTICULAR LAUNCH, TOM? PARTICULAR LAUNCH, TOM? >> R ep or te r: B OT TO M LI NE H ER E IS >> Reporter: BOTTOM LINE HERE IS >> Reporter: BOTTOM LINE HERE IS TH AT I T’ S A TE N- DA Y SH AK ED OW N THAT IT’S A TEN-DAY SHAKEDOWN THAT IT’S A TEN-DAY SHAKEDOWN MI SS IO N, T HI S IS A LL A BO UT MISSION, THIS IS ALL ABOUT MISSION, THIS IS ALL ABOUT MA KI NG S UR E TH AT T HI S SH IP I S MAKING SURE THAT THIS SHIP IS MAKING SURE THAT THIS SHIP IS SA FE , SO T HA T IT C AN F LY SAFE, SO THAT IT CAN FLY SAFE, SO THAT IT CAN FLY AS TR ON AU TS T O TH E SP AC E ST AT IO N, ASTRONAUTS TO THE SPACE STATION, ASTRONAUTS TO THE SPACE STATION, RO TA TI NG W IT H SP AC EX . ROTATING WITH SPACEX. ROTATING WITH SPACEX. BU T CR AI G, F IV E YE AR S AG O FE W BUT CRAIG, FIVE YEARS AGO FEW BUT CRAIG, FIVE YEARS AGO FEW WO UL D HA VE E VE R BE T TH AT U PS TA RT WOULD HAVE EVER BET THAT UPSTART WOULD HAVE EVER BET THAT UPSTART SP AC EX W OU LD A LR EA DY H AV E FL OW N SPACEX WOULD ALREADY HAVE FLOWN SPACEX WOULD ALREADY HAVE FLOWN 11 C RE WS T O TH E ST AT IO N BE FO RE 11 CREWS TO THE STATION BEFORE 11 CREWS TO THE STATION BEFORE BO EI NG E VE N FL IE S ON E.