NASA and Boeing plan to fly an uncrewed Starliner test mission at the end of this year. Officials announced the plan on Monday, as reported by Spaceflight Now.
If the uncrewed flight succeeds, the partners hope to fly astronauts on Starliner again around mid-2028. The spacecraft will carry redesigned propulsion system valves, sturdier subsystems and other changes meant to prevent a repeat of the problems seen in 2024.
During the 2024 Crew Flight Test, thruster failures and helium leaks led NASA to return Starliner to Earth without its crew. Its two astronauts came home later aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon. The new uncrewed mission is meant to show that the fixes work before people fly on the vehicle again.
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Spaceflight Now
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