NASA Reveals New Plan for Boeing’s Troubled Starliner Spacecraft and Commander of Future Mission
- On Monday, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced that Boeing will launch an uncrewed Starliner test flight to the International Space Station in December, with crewed missions delayed until 2028 pending safety redesigns.
- NASA reclassified the 2024 test flight that stranded two astronauts for months as a 'Type A mishap,' the agency's most severe ranking for incidents resulting in significant damage or vehicle loss of control.
- The space agency is investing an additional $359 million for Starliner upgrades and Vulcan certification. Boeing has implemented fixes on the spacecraft after identifying the cause of helium leaks and thruster failures.
- SpaceX remains the sole operational provider for crewed missions, with NASA purchasing three additional flights for $946 million earlier this month. NASA is certifying United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur rockets as a replacement for the retiring Atlas fleet.
- NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg will command the next crewed Starliner mission. SpaceX intends to phase out its Crew Dragon capsule for the larger Starship in coming years, underscoring NASA's need for redundant U.S.-based crew transportation.
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Boeing to launch Starliner again after thruster failure stranded Sunita Williams
Nasa and Boeing will send Starliner-1 on an uncrewed ISS mission to test spacecraft fixes. The flight is meant to clear the way for astronauts to return after the thruster failure that left Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore in orbit for months.
NASA, Boeing Could Return Starliner to Space by End of 2026
NASA and Boeing leaders announced that the Starliner spacecraft built to carry astronauts to and from the International Space Station could fly by the end of the year. Persistent technical mid-flight failures, particularly with its thrusters, climaxed in 2024, when two astronauts lost significant control of the spacecraft on their way to the International Space Station, resulting in them staying aboard the orbital outpost for nearly 10 months. …
Times of India
NASA lays out phased plan to return Starliner to service
NASA and Boeing are preparing for the Starliner-1 uncrewed mission aimed at validating spacecraft improvements. This mission is scheduled for either December 2026 or January 2027 and will provide critical flight data. Officials expect to integrate lessons learned from this flight into future crewed missions. Following the uncrewed test, astronauts are projected to return on Starliner-2 by 2028.
NASA lays out phased plan to return Starliner to service - The Tribune
NASA and Boeing plan an uncrewed Starliner flight in late 2026 or early 2027 to test upgrades, aiming for a crewed flight by 2028. This follows 61 safety recommendations after technical issues during the 2024 crewed test flight.
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