NASA and Boeing shared an update on Monday regarding the development of the Starliner spacecraft, used to transport astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).
Following a first crewed flight in 2024 that encountered technical issues, NASA has decided to launch an uncrewed Starliner-1 mission to validate the improvements made to the spacecraft and gather necessary data. This step will pave the way for a crewed Starliner-2 flight planned by 2028.
The program also includes certification of a new Vulcan rocket, which will succeed the Atlas V rocket for crewed missions. NASA emphasized its commitment to maintaining multiple options for transporting astronauts to low Earth orbit, essential for the continuity of space station operations and the expansion of commercial access to space.
This announcement follows a February report from NASA’s investigation team that identified 61 recommendations to address technical and organizational problems affecting the first crewed Starliner flight, notably malfunctions in the service module’s attitude control thrusters.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stated: “We are living in the most exciting era of space exploration since Apollo. We will continue to work closely with Boeing to ensure Starliner safely resumes its crewed flights.”
