NASA announced on Thursday that it is progressing towards certifying Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner for crewed missions, aiming for a flight either by the end of this year or early 2026. This follows the spacecraft’s inaugural mission to the International Space Station, which was extended due to a propulsion system fault.
The faulty propulsion system stretched what was meant to be an eight-day mission into a nine-month stay for NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who eventually returned aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule.
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NASA and Boeing are now focusing on resolving the issue, with multiple test campaigns planned for spring and summer, preparing the Starliner for its next mission. Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, indicated that the flight could happen by late 2025 or early 2026.
Boeing’s development challenges with the Starliner, particularly the propulsion system, have led to costs exceeding $2 billion for the aerospace company.
