NASA and Boeing Reboot Starliner Launch Plans with Uncrewed Mission This Year
After a setback in 2024 that led to a two-year delay, NASA and Boeing are finally moving forward with the Starliner spacecraft's launch. The next mission, called Starliner-1, will be an uncrewed flight expected to take place between December and January this year.
The contract for the Commercial Crew Program was originally listed at $4.1 billion but was reduced to $3.7 billion last fall after NASA cut back on its contracted flights from six to four. With new funding, it's possible that NASA could return to its original plan for six Starliner flights.
Boeing's Starliner went on a crewed test flight in 2024 but was plagued by technical issues, including helium leaks and thruster failures. The mission had to be extended from eight days to 286 days due to the problems.
NASA officials expressed confidence in the redesigns made to the spacecraft since the incident. 'When we get something wrong, we have to investigate how it occurred and be open and transparent about the findings,' said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.