Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
NASA is unsure when Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will fly on Boeing's Starliner again, as certification issues plague the spacecraft after propulsion problems during its first crewed test flight.
Starliner's next potential mission to the ISS is now pushed to 2025, with NASA waiting for Boeing to resolve the spacecraft's certification hurdles after the June 2024 flight’s thruster issues.
The propulsion issues that delayed docking with the ISS during Starliner’s first crewed flight resurfaced despite extensive ground and space testing, raising questions about Boeing’s ability to meet NASA's certification standards.
Williams and Wilmore, originally set to return on Starliner, will now come back to Earth on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon in February 2025, after repeated mission extensions due to unresolved Starliner issues.
NASA is reviewing if Starliner’s Crew Flight Test met the criteria to certify it for operational missions, with some considering the possibility of a second test flight before regular missions can proceed.
Starliner’s propulsion issues date back to its uncrewed test flights in 2019 and 2022. Despite Boeing’s efforts, NASA’s concerns remain unresolved, putting future missions in doubt.
With Starliner delayed, NASA is pressing forward with SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission in February 2025, carrying astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, ensuring ISS operations continue without interruption.
Originally planned for 2025, the Starliner-1 mission, featuring NASA’s Scott Tingle and Mike Fincke, now faces uncertainty as Starliner’s certification remains incomplete after the Crew Flight Test.
Credit: NASA
As Boeing and NASA assess Starliner's readiness, the agency has yet to clarify what happens if a second crewed test flight is required, leaving Williams and Wilmore’s next Starliner journey uncertain.
With Boeing’s Starliner facing delays and issues, SpaceX continues to dominate NASA’s crewed missions, raising concerns about Boeing’s ability to compete in the long term.