(Updates with the latest events)

June 5 (Reuters) -

Boeing's ( BA ) new Starliner astronaut capsule was launched

from Florida on Wednesday in a first test flight carrying a

crew, after several delays caused by last-minute technical

problems.

The CST-100 Starliner, with two astronauts aboard,

lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in

Florida, strapped to an Atlas V rocket furnished and flown by

the Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint venture United Launch

Alliance (ULA).

The inaugural crew for the seven-seat Starliner includes two

veteran NASA astronauts - Barry "Butch" Wilmore, a retired U.S.

Navy captain and fighter pilot, and Sunita "Suni" Williams, a

former Navy helicopter test pilot with experience in flying more

than 30 different aircraft.

Here's a rundown of key events in Starliner's journey to

space over the past few years:

Sept. 4, 2015 - Boeing ( BA ) takes the wraps off an assembly plant

for its first line of commercial spaceships, which NASA plans to

use to fly crews to the ISS.

Nov. 4, 2019 - Boeing ( BA ) says one of three parachutes failed to

open during a crucial unmanned test of the Starliner.

Dec. 20, 2019 - Boeing ( BA ) successfully launches its new

astronaut capsule on an uncrewed debut journey to the ISS.

Dec. 22, 2019 - The spacecraft makes a "bullseye" landing in

the New Mexico desert.

Jan. 7, 2020 - NASA and Boeing ( BA ) investigate a software glitch

that prevented the unmanned capsule from reaching the ISS in its

Dec. 2019 flight.

Feb. 6, 2020 - The NASA review panel says Boeing ( BA ) narrowly

missed a "catastrophic failure" during its December flight test.

Aug. 25, 2020 - The first Starliner crewed mission is

tentatively slated for 2021, with Boeing ( BA ) aiming to complete

software and test hardware production development.

Oct. 7, 2020 - The chief astronaut for Starliner's crewed

flight to the ISS, Chris Ferguson, steps down from the job,

citing family priorities. He is replaced by Wilmore.

July 29, 2021 - A space station mishap prompts NASA to

postpone the launch of the Starliner.

Aug. 3, 2021 - Boeing ( BA ) postpones Starliner launch after new

glitch.

Aug. 13, 2021 - Boeing ( BA ) returns the spacecraft to the factory

to resolve a valve issue, delaying the launch date until at

least mid-October if not later.

May 19, 2022 - The Starliner capsule launches on a do-over

uncrewed test flight bound for the ISS.

May 20, 2022 - The Starliner capsule, without astronauts

onboard, docked for the first time with the ISS.

Aug 25, 2022 - Boeing ( BA ) announces it is targeting early 2023

for the first Starliner mission carrying astronauts.

June 1, 2023 - Boeing ( BA ) says it is standing down from late

preparations for its first crewed Starliner test flight to

space, which was planned for July 2023, after it discovered two

safety-critical issues with the spacecraft.

May 3, 2024 - Boeing ( BA ) poised to send the first Starliner

space capsule with a crew of humans into orbit the following

week, after a year's delay.

May 6, 2024 - The first crewed test flight of the new

Starliner space capsule was postponed after the planned May 6

launch countdown was halted over a fault with the Atlas V

rocket.

May 7, 2024 - NASA says

new targeted launch date

for the mission was set to May 17 at the earliest.

May 14, 2024 - Boeing ( BA ) says the Starliner mission had

been

delayed again

- until at least May 21 - over an issue with the

spacecraft's propulsion system.

May 17, 2024 - NASA and Boeing ( BA )

delayed

the launch of the Starliner crew capsule again to check

helium leak, targeting May 25.

May 21, 2024 - NASA

again delayed

the debut crew flight to spend more time evaluating the

helium leak in the spacecraft's propulsion system.

May 22, 2024 - NASA and Boeing ( BA )

target June 1

for the launch.

June 1, 2024 - A

second attempt

at launching the Starliner with astronauts on board was

automatically halted with minutes to go before liftoff by a

computer-abort system.

June 2, 2024 - Boeing ( BA ) and NASA target June 5 for the

launch.

June 5, 2024 - The Starliner astronaut capsule was

successfully

launched

from Florida with two astronauts aboard, with docking with

the ISS scheduled for June 6.