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NASA and Boeing Outline Starliner's Future Plans
Confirmed
In Short: NASA and Boeing officials outlined plans for the Starliner spacecraft during a briefing on Monday, addressing its development and future missions.
Boeing's Starliner is set to return to space in December for an uncrewed test flight, following issues during its 2024 crewed flight.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said, 'We are living through the most exciting era of space exploration since Apollo.
The test flight aims to validate improvements made to the spacecraft and gather necessary flight data.
NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg is expected to command Starliner’s next crewed mission, if the test is successful.
The briefing included NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg, NASA's Low Earth Orbit Program manager Dana Weigel, and Boeing Commercial Crew vice president and program manager John Mulholland.
The investigation identified 61 recommendations to NASA to ensure future missions meet high standards for human spaceflight.
NASA and Boeing will implement additional thruster valve design modifications and other improvements to the spacecraft.
NASA has been committed to having multiple crew transportation options since the beginning of the Commercial Crew Program.
NASA and Boeing have not announced an official launch date for the uncrewed test flight.
The incident in 2024 was classified as a Type A mishap, the agency’s most serious category.
NASA ultimately determined that Starliner was not safe to use for the astronauts’ return trip.
NASA astronaut Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are preparing to return home after an unexpected nine-month stay in space.
What this adds
The briefing provided updates on Starliner's development and plans for future crewed missions, including potential certification and reliability improvements.
What's confirmed
- The announcement was made during a briefing on Monday that included NASA administrator Jared Isaacman, NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg, NASA's Low Earth Orbit Program manager Dana Weigel and Boeing Commercial Crew vice president and program manager John Mulholland.
- During a news conference on Monday, NASA and Boeing officials discussed Starliner’s development and plans for regular crew flights to and from the International Space Station.
What's still developing
- If the test is successful, NASA plans to resume crewed Starliner flights in 2028 as part of an agreement that could include up to five missions to the International Space Station.
- Due to safety concerns, NASA decided to bring Starliner back to Earth without astronauts while working on a different return plan.
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- The report specifically identified issues with Starliner’s service module reaction control thrusters operating outside of their engineering qualification, which resulted in the loss of control experienced during its Crew Flight Test.
- Boeing also will implement other improvements across the spacecraft including installation of new crew module thrusters, batteries, and minor modifications to the parachute system for increased performance and reliability in support of system certification.
- Through significant ground testing and analysis, NASA and Boeing learned the service module thruster performance issues resulted from a combination of factors, including the thermal environment and features inherent in its design.
- Based on the findings, Boeing has made thermal modifications to the spacecraft’s service module which NASA will evaluate for improved performance on Starliner-1.
- An audit released in March found that Starliner’s leak and propulsion problems remained unresolved.
- NASA also said it could not provide a timeline for certifying the spacecraft to carry astronauts again.