PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (May 18, 2022) – For the second year in a row, Boeing will be honoring over a dozen HBCUs, including Prairie View A&M University, during its CST-100 Starliner’s second Orbital Flight Test on May 19.
Flags from select historically black colleges and universities, and a few additional universities, are part of the cargo for Boeing Starliner’s second Orbital Flight Test.
Credit: John Proferes
Flags and other items from the schools will be among hundreds of pounds of cargo launching from Kennedy Space Center in Florida during the uncrewed flight test to the International Space Station. According to Boeing, the flight test is the last major step before the Starliner takes American astronauts to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
“Boeing has recruitment partnerships with these and other selected institutions to help fill [our] workforce needs. HBCUs play an important role in helping to diversify the company,” Boeing said in a statement.
“Closing representation gaps in our company and our industry is a priority for Boeing, and inspiring diverse students to pursue careers in aerospace is an important part of that effort,” said Boeing President and CEO David Calhoun. “By representing HBCUs on our Starliner mission, we are demonstrating our commitment to working with these institutions to advance equity and inclusion and help ensure a bright future for their students.”
In addition to PVAMU, the HBCUs with which Boeing has recruiting relationships include Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College and Spelman College, part of the Atlanta University Center Consortium; Alabama A&M University; Florida A&M University; Howard University in Washington, D.C.; Morgan State University in Maryland; North Carolina A&T; Southern University and A&M College in Louisiana; South Carolina State University; Tennessee State University and Tuskegee University in Alabama; and Allen University in South Carolina.
Live broadcasts of the launch and other dynamic phases of flight will be shared on NASA TV and the Boeing Starliner website. Up-to-date mission activities will also be posted on Twitter @BoeingSpace.
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