Alabama built rocket delivers NASA’s new crew capsule to orbit

An Atlas five rocket, built at the United Launch Alliance factory in Decatur, blasted off from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The booster carried NASA’s new crew capsule called the Starliner. The uncrewed, gumdrop shaped, spacecraft is supposed to dock with the International Space Station with cargo for the astronauts aboard the orbiting outpost. The liftoff of Boeing’s Starliner is a repeat of two earlier unsuccessful launch tries of the new vehicle. The space contractor is working to catch up with SpaceX, which has been successfully sending astronauts to the football field sized space station for two years. Only a test dummy was on board the capsule. Two previous attempts were marred by software flaws and stuck valves. If everything goes well, NASA test pilots could strap in by the end of this year for the company's first astronaut flight. Boeing is trying to catch up with SpaceX, which has been flying NASA crews for two years. One of the crewmembers currently working on ISS is University of Alabama graduate Bob Hines. He flew to the station last month aboard a SpaceX crew dragon capsule.