Starliner, Explained (Part 2): Crew Flight Test Mission Overview

Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft ferried NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station on the Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission. This will be the final test mission of Starliner before it moves into conduction full crew rotation missions. This video was published prior to the CFT mission launch on June 5, 2025.
In this video, Spaceflight Now Reporter Will Robinson-Smith dives into the history of astronauts chosen to fly onboard the first two crewed flights of Starliner (CFT and Starliner-1), the training Butch and Suni went through and the mission profile of the CFT mission.
This is part two of our two-part series Watch Starliner, Explained (Part 1) to learn more about the spacecraft itself and Boeing's development saga that led up to the vehicle's Crew Flight Test mission.
Starliner, Explained (Part 1): • Starliner, Explained (...
Chapters:
00:00 Overview
01:31 Video breakdown
02:18 Evolution of CFT and Starliner-1 crews
06:28 Boeing's LeRoy Cain on working with Butch and Suni
07:21 Starliner capsule mock-up
08:12 Starliner seat development
09:10 Starliner spacesuits
12:08 Boeing Mission Simulator
13:21 Classroom learning
14:22 Virtual reality training
14:50 Ascent profile
16:56 Rendezvous and docking profile
18:31 Undocking and landing profile
20:06 Looking forward to the mission
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[@dclpgh]

Wow. Looking at the inside of Starliner you would think Spacex got the 4 billion from NASA and Boeing got the two.

[@michaeldemarco9950]

I still haven’t seen a good picture of the inside of Starliner. Just a huge control console.

[@TheMoneypresident]

SpaceX gave a low bid. They could have gotten the same amount.

[@lartorgames]

@@michaeldemarco9950Even though the SpaceX crew dragon got less volume space starliner is very cramped even in zero gravity it’s going to be hard to even live in.

[@kimsmyth1381]

​@@lartorgamesMy thoughts also

[@lartorgames]

@@kimsmyth1381 nvm Boeing has deserve even more hate starliner still able to be blamed cause they now found a helium leak.

[@XXfea]

Is this the Boeing Starliner MAX?

[@imleta]

Awesome Will! It's going to be so exciting to watch! Can't wait to share that day with my launch family! Thanks for all you do!

[@TheBricknell]

This is an incredibly well made spacecraft and these last two videos do a great job to show that. Once Suni and Butch get up there, Starliner will take its spot as one of the most advanced and robust vehicles ferrying astronauts to space. That being said, when compared to the Dragon, it doesn't stand a chance in making news. People associate the look, feel, and general set-up of Starliner with old space tech. It matches the ISS interior and the shuttles. The Dragon looks high-tech in comparison. Exterior, interior, -- even the suits just look like what we imagine advanced spaceflight to look like. I'm not sure I know of anything specific that the Dragon does better (other than actually getting people to space thus far) but I know that presentation matters. Boeing relied on old tech and old ways of doing things. Thus it looks like a craft we could have developed in the seventies or eighties (minus the tablets). So, on top of the delays and series of missed deadlines (not to mention the bad press Boeing airplanes have received) the reason Starliner won't be remembered like the Dragon is because it doesn't look new.

[@solareclipse1970]

The design of Dragon and the suits is mainly a matter of esthetics not technology.

[@capicolaspicy]

Nice one Will!

[@user-yi1ey5ve2y]

I'm glad to see that the US of A is still on The cutting edge of pioneering into space🇺🇸

[@user-yi1ey5ve2y]

I'm surprised that the test pilots are not fresh young test pilots but more middle-aged.

[@robertcasper1557]

Would love to have the patches

[@emezeekiel]

lol at NASCAR being the ones who invented HANS devices

[@truegret7778]

fun fact (except RIP R Hubbard): Robert Hubbard, the co-inventor of the Head and Neck Support Device (HANS), died Tuesday. A former professor in biomechanical engineering at Michigan State University, Hubbard created the HANS Device in the mid-80s with Jim Downing, his brother-in-law and a champion IMSA driver.

[@williamscoggin1509]

After watching this I have to say that I am thoroughly unimpressed. The capsule control panel makes me think of a 1950 Studebaker, and most of the people in the video seem to be basically telling each other how good they are. Lord knows they've had plenty of extra time to improve things better than they had been but it looks like they've just been sitting around trying the same thing over and over.

[@emezeekiel]

Improving things costs money lol. And bowing’s already well in the hole. You can actually almost assume they’ve laid off everyone that’s completed their work on time years ago to save as much as possible.

[@timh36]

​@@xt5181😂😂😂

[@NeedsLessWedge]

Where's the eight track deck. Spell check doesn't even know what an eight track is (was)

[@caseyknolla8419]

Really nice to see some unbiased, factual journalism on Starliner.

[@Thenormfloirdaman]

Ayo bro got to be in a star liner capsule where's my Invitation space flight now😂

[@blobnate]

Bruh i love space but is it really a good idea to let Boeing make these things after what has come to light with making their planes.

[@tedburton8490]

How much of this thing is reusable?

[@-MeatsOfEvil-]

Maybe the capsule, maybe.... The rest gets thrown away!😅

[@user-cj1kz8jf4y]

Prob maybe that alcohol may not work well w fuel. Systems must be alert in healthy star.

[@soumyasuvramitra]

Spacex will complete more crew flights & even Starships will fly regularly still boeing will not able to lift a single starliner.😂😂

[@alangriggs4420]

Boeing appears to be YEARS behind SpaceX, and falling behind as fast as gravity allows.

[@stuartb9194]

Looks like something from the 60s, what a time to be alive

[@Hazelnut2448]

That ending didnt age well. "....after a week in space"

[@caseysimon2098]

Star liner looks like it was made with early 90s technology. Where space x looks futuristic. Boeing must use dei engineers.

[@syon2009]

not trusting anything from boeing these days.... profit over safety.

[@NicholasWebb-fh3ts]

😊😅

[@maryleigh8990]

Dear Boeing, do better for the majority of earthlings...turn a fraction of your focus back to plane safety...

[@bowtoy]

I feel like we'll never get our money's worth out of the Boeing contract.

[@ryanpeeples6998]

We've already gotten our money's worth. If Boeing was not attached to SpaceX as a part of the commercial crew program, the program never would have had the political clout to survive. The Starliner will never be as cheap or reliable as Dragon, but Dragon would not exist without Starliner. Both awards were made together.

[@bowtoy]

@@ryanpeeples6998 Fair point

[@bowtoy]

@@ryanpeeples6998 maybe we could get Kristi Noem to sit down with some Boeing execs

[@BH195829]

How ridiculous- With today’s technology, this seems archaic! 🤔

[@gregknipe8772]

I was expecting the poor quality work and thumbnail dependent productions of Astrum or Markus House and his space-ex hype. what a surprise Space Flight Now has provided, for free! thank you for this thorough and informative presentation on where billions of our tax dollars have gone, and will pour into in the future.

[@chrislykk]

Boring and ULA are just… this is a head scratcher

[@stevechard3860]

Watch this go tits up lol 😉

[@XXfea]

Will - drop the carbs man

[@user-ob4xb1zu7v]

Do you really want to go Boeing? 💀☠️

[@digitalplayland]

Simpler explanation. Like NASA, Boeing is living in the 70s.

[@connormoorerocks]

Boeing? ah hell nah

[@HeWhoIsWhoHeIs]

Boeing needs to be disbanded

[@TheMoneypresident]

Came out with 30 new craft in past few years. Made the solar panels for space station.

[@HeWhoIsWhoHeIs]

@@TheMoneypresident killed whistleblowers, built planes so poorly the doors literally fall off. In bed with the establishment and the democrats. Hires based on DEI not merit. I stand by my comment.

[@user-yi1ey5ve2y]

You obviously feel strongly about your opinion, enough to comment on this video here, why would you say that?

[@HeWhoIsWhoHeIs]

@@user-yi1ey5ve2y You know they're cutting quality and killing whistleblowers, right?

[@user-yi1ey5ve2y]

@@HeWhoIsWhoHeIs I'm not well versed on that topic in particular of Boeing, I am aware that a lot of big businesses do that sort of s*** when they can get away with it, but of all the flights that have been made on Boeing planes how many of them have had a serious malfunction? And if this space program goes through without any major malfunctions, I don't see the problem. They're an American company so I'm pro-american I'm going to back them naturally. Overseas products, they don't even have to cut a corner, there's no rules or regulations to even stop them from doing subpar work in the first place.

[@pj23nl]

its boeing, thats all one needs to know to stay the F away from this thing