In a turn of events described by some as the "miracle on the launchpad," Boeing's Starliner crewed mission is officially scheduled to launch after a saga of delays that could best be compared to a broken New Year's resolution—persistent but perpetually postponed.

The launch is slated to occur at 10:52 a.m. on June 5, 2024, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. A crisp morning with a 90% chance of favorable weather; in other words, the cumulus clouds might decide to attend, but they're not setting up any roadblocks (cbs).

Meet the Astronauts

NASA astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita Williams will be the brave souls on this mission. Williams, notably, is making history as the first woman to fly an inaugural crewed flight of a U.S. spacecraft—a milestone for gender equality that’s taken just shy of forever to arrive (cnn).

Their journey will mark the first piloted flight of the Starliner capsule and the first time an Atlas V rocket will launch astronauts into the abyss we call space.

The Mission

Dubbed the Crew Flight Test, this mission aims to rival SpaceX's Crew Dragon—meaning Boeing’s finally decided to join the space race after realizing watching from the sidelines wasn’t as fun (cnn). Over a grueling 25-hour journey, the Starliner will attempt to dock at the International Space Station, planned for 12:15 p.m. on Thursday. If successful, this will be the sixth inaugural crewed spacecraft journey in US history, although who’s counting (cbs)?

Testing and Trials

Astronauts Wilmore and Williams will not only be enjoying the sights but also testing Starliner's manual controls, thruster performance, spacesuits, and manual piloting. They’ll also assess the capsule’s 'safe haven' capability—just in case things go sideways (cbs). Added to the mix is an indispensable pump, aimed at fixing the space station’s urine processor assembly. Yes, even in space, someone has to deal with the toilets (cnn).

The Road to Space Goes Through "Tech Troubles"

The mission faced multiple delays due to a laundry list of technical issues: a suspect pressure relief valve, a pesky helium leak, and an obstinate launch pad computer system that seemed to have a mind of its own. With a mission ten years in the making, Boeing has truly climbed every mountain and forded every stream in its journey to develop the Starliner spacecraft.

Boeing vs. SpaceX

Let’s be clear, Boeing is a bit late to the party. The Starliner is four years behind SpaceX's Crew Dragon in terms of ferrying astronauts to space—making Boeing the tortoise in this space race, albeit a technologically advanced one (cbs).

Weather or Not…

With weather conditions 90% favorable, the only concern is cumulus clouds. So unless Mother Nature decides to trigger her rebellious teen phase, all systems are go (cnn).

If all goes according to plan, Williams and Wilmore will return to Earth on June 14. Fingers crossed they bring back more than just great selfies from the International Space Station (cbs).

As Boeing's Starliner finally preps for launch, it’s worth noting the mission's significance. Not only is it a significant milestone for the company, but it also underscores the high-stakes, high-drama world of space exploration, where every mission reiterates the old adage: better late than never—even if 'late' is starting to feel like 'fashionably late' for this endeavor.