Thu Oct 17 10:50:00 UTC 2024: ## Boeing’s Starliner Faces Delays, Next Crewed Mission Pushed to 2025

**Houston, TX** – NASA has announced that the next crewed mission aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) will not occur before 2025. The decision comes after propulsion problems arose during the spacecraft’s first crewed test flight this past summer, raising concerns about its readiness for operational missions.

The agency is currently reviewing the certification requirements for Starliner, following the issues that arose on the Crew Flight Test (CFT) in June. During the mission, five out of 28 thrusters in the capsule’s reaction control system malfunctioned, leading to a delay in docking and an extension of the mission duration. Despite these issues, the two astronauts aboard, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, returned safely to Earth, though the Starliner itself had to land autonomously without astronauts on September 6.

The propulsion issues are not new, as they were also observed during uncrewed test flights in 2019 and 2022. While NASA and Boeing believed these issues were resolved, the CFT results have prompted further investigations and a reassessment of the program’s timeline.

The first operational mission of the Starliner spacecraft, known as Starliner-1, was initially planned for 2025. However, the new timeline will depend on a deeper understanding of the issues and the path towards certification. The assigned crew for Starliner-1, including NASA astronauts Scott Tingle and Mike Fincke, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk, remain on standby, awaiting further updates on the program.

NASA is currently working with Boeing to determine if Starliner’s performance during the CFT is sufficient to meet the certification requirements for operational ISS missions. Meanwhile, the agency is also preparing for SpaceX’s upcoming Crew-10 mission, scheduled for February 2025, which will transport four astronauts to the ISS.

The future of the Starliner program remains uncertain, with NASA promising to provide more information on the situation as it becomes available.

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