On June 20, 2024, who amongst the below options became the first to fly into space on the Boeing Starliner's inaugural crewed mission?

Correct option is D

On June 20, 2024, NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry "Butch" Wilmore became the first to fly into space on the Boeing Starliner’s inaugural crewed mission, Boeing Crew Flight Test (Boe-CFT). This historic mission aimed to evaluate the Starliner's ability to safely transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS). However, technical issues during the mission required the capsule to return to Earth empty, leaving the astronauts aboard the ISS to await retrieval by a SpaceX craft.

Information Booster:

1. Mission Name: Boeing Crew Flight Test (Boe-CFT).
2. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
3. Duration: Eight days planned; adjusted due to technical challenges.
4. Crew Details: Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore are retired U.S. Navy captains with extensive spaceflight experience.
5. Technical Issues: Thruster malfunction prevented Starliner’s safe return with the crew.
6. Next Steps: Astronauts will return to Earth aboard a SpaceX spacecraft in early 2025.
7. Implications: Certification of Starliner delayed; Boeing faced financial and reputational consequences.

Additional Knowledge:

• Neil Armstrong and Sunita Williams (a): Armstrong was the first man on the Moon; he did not participate in this mission.
• Buzz Aldrin and Rakesh Sharma (b): Aldrin was part of Apollo 11, and Sharma was the first Indian in space; neither participated in the Boe-CFT mission.
• Chris Hadfield and Kalpana Chawla (c): Both are prominent astronauts but not part of the Starliner crewed mission.
• Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore (d): The correct answer, marking the first crewed flight of Boeing Starliner.

Key Points:

1. The Starliner’s debut crewed flight represents a key milestone in NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
2. Sunita Williams is an Indian-American astronaut known for her extensive time aboard the ISS.
3. Boeing aims to compete with SpaceX in providing commercial crew transport services.
4. The incident underscores the complexities and challenges of human spaceflight.