Boeing’s Starliner Anticipates Readiness for Manned Missions by March Next Year

Boeing’s aspiration to venture into space has recently encountered a series of technical setbacks, particularly with its ambitious Starliner program. Nonetheless, the aerospace manufacturer expressed assurance during a press conference on Monday that the prevailing challenges will be resolved by March next year. By then, the reusable crew spacecraft should be prepared for testing with onboard NASA astronauts.

Boeing’s VP and Starliner Program Manager, Mark Nappi, clarified during the announcement, according to CNBC, that while they anticipate the spacecraft will be ready by early March, this doesn’t translate to a confirmed launch date at that time. He elaborated that Boeing is currently coordinating with NASA – Commercial Crew program, the International Space Station (ISS), and ULA to identify potential launch dates that align with their readiness. Over the upcoming weeks, they’ll ascertain the most viable timeframe and then establish an official launch date.

The Starliner program, unveiled in 2010, represents Boeing’s contribution to the reusable crew spacecraft competition, currently dominated by SpaceX and its Dragon 2 capsule.

Both companies received grants simultaneously in 2014 for the development of systems that could transport astronauts to the ISS, with a contract deadline set for 2017. However, Boeing’s initial launch date was postponed from 2017 to late 2018 by 2016, and by April 2018, NASA revised its expected launch timeframe to between 2019 and 2020.

The program faced further delay when the first uncrewed orbital test flight in 2019 failed to achieve orbit. Nevertheless, NASA agreed to finance a second uncrewed test in August 2021, which was unsuccessful due to a “valve issue”. Resolving this problem stretched until May of the following year, when the subsequent test flight was successfully completed.

Despite these advances, two subsequent attempts at crewed flights were not successful. After finding flaws in the parachute system and wiring harnesses, the scheduled flight on July 21 had to be aborted. As a result, Boeing now believes that by March, the Starliner will be ready to ferry two NASA astronauts to the ISS for a weeklong stay. The project’s cost overruns are estimated to have totaled around $1.5 billion for Boeing.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Boeing’s Starliner

More about Boeing’s Starliner

• Boeing’s Official Website
• NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
• SpaceX’s Official Website
• Details on Starliner’s First Test Flight
• The International Space Station (ISS)
• CNBC Article on Boeing Starliner