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Boeing's Busted Starliner Won't Return to Flight for Another Year as Technical Issues Persist
Gizmodo • • science
Key Points:
- NASA has delayed the return-to-flight timeline for Boeing's Starliner spacecraft by at least another year, with no set date for the next uncrewed mission as technical issues persist.
- Starliner's first crewed test flight experienced significant thruster failures and helium leaks, forcing astronauts to manually pilot the spacecraft and ultimately return to Earth aboard SpaceX's Dragon.
- Boeing continues to address propulsion system problems, including helium leaks and thruster malfunctions, but progress updates have been sparse since early 2024.
- NASA remains committed to certifying Starliner for crewed missions despite setbacks, though the original plan for operational flights by early 2025 has been postponed.
- The commercial crew contract with Boeing has been revised, reducing Starliner missions from six to four as NASA reassesses the program's timeline and readiness.
