US EditionNASA, Boeing to start testing Starliner for next flight aimed at early 2026
- Boeing's Starliner, which launched its first crewed flight with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station last June, experienced issues including thruster problems, ultimately leading to an extended stay for the crew.
- The inaugural mission was marred by a system fault, specifically issues with the propulsion system, including helium leaks and the failure of multiple maneuvering thrusters, which prompted an extended stay at the ISS to study the problems.
- To address these issues, NASA and Boeing are conducting tests through the spring and summer, including firing Starliner thrusters at NASA's White Sands Test Facility, to validate thermal models and inform potential upgrades, with engineers having already addressed over 70 percent of flight observations and anomalies.
- According to NASA, mission managers are planning for the next Starliner flight to be a crew-capable post-certification mission, while NASA also has the capability of flying only cargo depending on the needs of the agency.
- Despite the program costing Boeing more than $2 billion, NASA aims to certify Starliner for crewed flights later this year or in early 2026, with the next flight potentially occurring in late 2025 or early 2026, though the exact timeline and crew status remain undecided.
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NASA and Boeing are taking the necessary steps towards certification and are conducting new tests with Boeing's Starliner capsule, with the plan being that the next manned flight will take place either at the end of 2025 or...
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NASA switches Starliner crew to SpaceX Dragon as testing continues on troubled Boeing capsule – Spaceflight Now
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 members stand inside the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on Nov. 13, 2024. From left are Mission Specialist Kimiya Yui from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), Commander NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, Mission Specialist Oleg Platonov of Roscosmos, and Pilot NASA astronaut Mike Fincke. Image: NASA/Josh Valcarcel The makeup of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission to the International S…
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