Following a delay in Boeing Starliner’s last crewed mission, which was prolonged from eight days to over nine months due to capsule issues, NASA is now considering the future launch plans for the aerospace company. After the successful return of SpaceX Dragon Freedom, carrying Starliner crew members Sunita ‘Suni’ Williams and Butch Wilmore from the International Space Station this week, NASA officials revealed that they are strategizing the next steps for the Starliner.
During a press briefing, commercial crew program manager Steve Stich indicated that the upcoming plan involves conducting a test flight for the Starliner without crews onboard before proceeding with crewed missions. The aim is to first test all the modifications made to the vehicle in the next flight, followed by transitioning Boeing into a crew rotation for subsequent missions.
In June 2024, Williams and Wilmore embarked on the first crewed flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule, which was initially planned as a weeklong trip to the ISS but extended to over nine months due to technical issues experienced by the capsule. After several delays, NASA decided to send the Starliner back to Earth uncrewed, with Williams and Wilmore returning in another vehicle.
The recent successful splashdown marked the completion of the astronauts’ over nine-month mission, and the focus is now on the next Starliner test flight to verify the functionality of the spacecraft’s thrusters post-modifications. Stich emphasized the importance of ensuring that the propulsion system and thruster issues are resolved to prepare the Starliner for future crewed missions.
Despite the upcoming mission being uncrewed, Stich highlighted the necessity for the Starliner to be fully crew-capable to simulate a docking at the ISS. The spacecraft must be equipped with all necessary systems to accommodate a crew in the event of manned flights in the future.
If the mission is successful, NASA may certify the spacecraft for regular missions to and from the ISS. NASA has mostly relied on SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft for crew and cargo transportation to the ISS. These missions are part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which utilizes American rockets and spacecraft to send astronauts and cargo to the ISS, aiming to assist the federal space agency in its preparations for future moon and Mars missions. NASA is now planning the next test flight of the Boeing Starliner following the return of the astronauts.
