NASA / Boeing Starliner Saga Continues

by Kate Green

October 19, 2024

NASA's Starliner spacecraft, developed by Boeing, has faced several delays and technical issues, pushing its next crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS) to no earlier than 2025.

Here’s an overview of the situation and its impact on upcoming missions:

Key Points:

1. Starliner's Crewed Mission Delayed:

   • Starliner's next potential crewed mission to the ISS will occur no sooner than 2025. NASA is currently reviewing Boeing's path to system certification following issues on the spacecraft’s first crewed test flight earlier this year.

   • The launch of the Crew Flight Test (CFT) on June 5, 2023, experienced propulsion problems during docking. While astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams reached the ISS safely, five out of 28 thrusters had issues, leading to repeated mission extensions.

     
     

2. Troubleshooting and Delays:

   • Even after extensive ground and space testing, the propulsion issues weren’t fully resolved, prompting NASA to bring Starliner back autonomously on September 6, 2023.

   • Williams and Wilmore, originally expected to return on Starliner, will now return to Earth aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule in February 2025 as part of the Crew-9 mission. Crew Dragon’s flexibility allowed for the mission to carry two astronauts instead of the usual four, making space for the Starliner crew.

     
     

3. Certification Uncertainty:

   • NASA and Boeing are still working on determining if Starliner's CFT mission was successful enough to meet certification requirements for future operational missions like Starliner-1.

   • If necessary, Starliner may require additional test flights with astronauts before being cleared for full operational use.

     
     

4. Starliner’s Propulsion Issues:

   • The propulsion system issues seen in 2024 are not new. Starliner also faced similar problems during its two uncrewed test flights in 2019 and 2022, which NASA and Boeing believed were resolved before sending astronauts onboard.

     
     

5. Upcoming Spaceflight Plans:

   • While Starliner is delayed, NASA’s partnership with SpaceX continues smoothly. SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission is scheduled to launch in February 2025, with a crew that includes NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, along with Takuya Onishi (JAXA) and Kirill Peskov (Roscosmos).

   • Crew-11 will follow no earlier than July 2025, though the crew for that mission has yet to be announced.

   • NASA astronauts Scott Tingle, Mike Fincke, and Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk are still assigned to Starliner-1, which was expected to fly in 2025. However, their status could change if Starliner requires additional test flights.

     
     

Conclusion:

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft continues to face delays and challenges due to propulsion issues that have persisted over multiple flights. NASA is working with Boeing to determine if Starliner can be certified for regular crewed missions to the ISS.

In the meantime, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon remains the primary vehicle for transporting astronauts to and from the space station, ensuring continuous operations on the ISS while Starliner’s future is assessed.

Image:

Boeing's Starliner Crew Flight Test capsule landing on September 6, 2024. (Image credit: NASA TV)