NASA’s Starliner Launch by Boeing Could Be Postponed Until Early 2026
Future flights of Boeing’s Starliner capsule will be postponed for the time being. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were transported to the International Space Station (ISS) for a scheduled week-long stay in June, marking the spacecraft’s first-ever crewed trip.
On the way to the orbiting lab, however, Starliner encountered some problems, including helium leaks in its propulsion system and the failure of five of its 28 reaction control system (RCS) thrusters, which are used for fine adjustments like those needed during docking. As a result, that timeline was quickly altered.
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft will continue to be grounded for some time to come.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams traveled to the International Space Station (ISS) for around a week last June when Starliner launched on its first-ever crewed voyage.
On the way to the orbiting lab, however, Starliner encountered some problems, including helium leaks in its propulsion system and the failure of five of its 28 reaction control system (RCS) thrusters, which are used for fine adjustments like those needed during docking. As a result, that timeline was quickly altered.
“To validate detailed thermal models and inform potential propulsion and spacecraft thermal protection system upgrades, as well as operational solutions for future flights,” NASA officials wrote in an update Thursday afternoon (March 27) about the Starliner RCS thruster test-firings at NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico.
To reduce the likelihood of leaks in the future, teams will also keep testing novel seal solutions for the helium system.
Additionally, NASA and SpaceX have a commercial crew contract. On March 14, Elon Musk’s business began its tenth successful astronaut flight to the orbiting lab as part of this agreement.
