Boeing is on the verge of launching astronauts aboard new capsule, the newest entry to space travel

By MARCIA DUNN
AP Aerospace Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Boeing is finally poised to launch astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA after years of delays and stumbles. It’s the first flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule with a crew on board. A pair of veteran NASA pilots will check out the spacecraft during the test drive and a weeklong stay at the space station. Liftoff is planned for Monday night from Cape Canaveral, Florida. NASA turned to U.S. companies for astronaut rides after the space shuttles retired. Elon Musk’s SpaceX has made nine taxi trips for NASA, while Boeing has managed only a pair of unoccupied test flights.