After a seven-year delay, Boeing’s Starliner is set to launch two NASA astronauts into space this month, marking a milestone for the troubled company.
The Crew Flight Test mission, originally scheduled for May 6, has been rescheduled to May 10 to address a valve issue. The spacecraft will carry NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams to the International Space Station (ISS), where they will spend about a week before returning home. If successful, Starliner will begin regular trips to the ISS next year, with Boeing contracted for six NASA flights.
The development of Starliner, part of NASA’s efforts to end reliance on Russia for space transport, has been plagued by delays. Unlike SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, which has already completed numerous missions, Starliner faced setbacks, including an uncrewed test flight failure in 2019.
Despite challenges, Starliner offers redundancy to NASA’s transport needs, with plans for alternating missions with Crew Dragon. However, Boeing’s future commercial missions for Starliner remain uncertain amid discussions of commercial space stations to succeed the ISS.
With the new launch date set, Boeing hopes for a smooth first crewed flight for Starliner, marking the beginning of its intended role in human space travel.
UPDATE: Boeing, NASA and United Launch Alliance have made the decision to allow engineering teams to spend Tuesday, May 7, evaluating the data and the next launch opportunity will be no earlier than Friday, May 10. https://t.co/TVJ5Wm4bR4
— Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) May 7, 2024
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