NASA eyes Boeing Starliner crewed flight by late 2025 or early 2026

Photo : Reuters

NASA announced on Thursday that it is moving closer to approving Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft for crewed missions. The agency expects the next flight to happen either later this year or by early 2026. This comes after the spacecraft's first mission to the International Space Station (ISS) faced a major technical issue, causing an unexpected long stay in space.

The problem was linked to the Starliner’s propulsion system. The mission was originally planned to last only eight days but ended up keeping NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams in space for nine months. Eventually, they had to return to Earth earlier this month in SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, as Starliner was not safe for the return trip.

NASA and Boeing are now working together to fix the faulty propulsion system. Teams are carrying out a series of tests and detailed studies on the system. These tests are expected to take place throughout the spring and summer. The results will help determine the timeline for the Starliner’s next flight.

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Steve Stich, the head of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, said they are aiming for the next flight to happen either by the end of this year or in early 2026.

Boeing has faced several challenges in developing the Starliner. The ongoing technical issues have increased the project’s overall cost to more than $2 billion. Despite the setbacks, NASA and Boeing remain committed to making the Starliner safe and reliable for future crewed missions.