FLORIDA, USA: NASA has postponed Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner’s crewed flights to the ISS following major technical issues during its recent test flight. Initially scheduled for a week-long mission, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunni Williams have been stranded aboard the ISS for what will now be an extended eight-month stay, returning in February 2025 aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon.
During Starliner’s June 2023 test flight, the spacecraft experienced significant malfunctions, including thruster failures and helium leaks, raising concerns over its readiness. Although it successfully docked with the ISS, the issues led NASA to return the astronauts on a SpaceX Dragon instead of risking the Starliner for their return. The spacecraft remains uncertified, and Boeing must resolve these problems before any future crewed missions.
NASA has shifted its focus to using SpaceX’s Dragon for upcoming missions while awaiting Boeing’s solution. Starliner’s delay is a setback to NASA’s goal of having two commercial spacecraft servicing the ISS.
