NASA ramps up support to get Boeing’s astronaut capsule flying after Butch and Suni fiasco
NASA is adding $359 million in upgrades and Vulcan certification work after Starliner’s 2024 test flight left two astronauts in orbit for more than nine months.
- On Monday, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced that Boeing will launch an uncrewed Starliner test flight to the International Space Station in December, with crewed missions delayed until 2028 pending safety redesigns.
- NASA reclassified the 2024 test flight that stranded two astronauts for months as a 'Type A mishap,' the agency's most severe ranking for incidents resulting in significant damage or vehicle loss of control.
- The space agency is investing an additional $359 million for Starliner upgrades and Vulcan certification. Boeing has implemented fixes on the spacecraft after identifying the cause of helium leaks and thruster failures.
- SpaceX remains the sole operational provider for crewed missions, with NASA purchasing three additional flights for $946 million earlier this month. NASA is certifying United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur rockets as a replacement for the retiring Atlas fleet.
- NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg will command the next crewed Starliner mission. SpaceX intends to phase out its Crew Dragon capsule for the larger Starship in coming years, underscoring NASA's need for redundant U.S.-based crew transportation.
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NASA hoping to get Starliner back in space after 2025 malfunction that left 2 astronauts stranded at ISS - WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports
NASA plans to launch an uncrewed Boeing Starliner mission in December 2026 to validate remediation efforts after a 2025 malfunction left two astronauts stranded.
NASA pays Boeing $359m to get Starliner flying again by 2028
NASA will pay Boeing $359m to help get its Starliner spacecraft flying again. It will also buy two more Starliner flights to the International Space Station. NASA and Boeing announced the plan at a news conference on Monday, and NASA set it out in a statement. It wants astronauts back on Starliner by 2028. “I […] This story continues at The Next Web
NASA Classifies Boeing Starliner Failures as ‘Type A’ Mishap, Stranding Astronauts on ISS for Six Months
NASA has classified Boeing’s Starliner propulsion failures as a “Type A” mishap, its most serious designation, triggering an independent investigation like those after Challenger and Columbia. The decision leaves astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams stranded on the ISS for six months awaiting a SpaceX return flight. The troubles underscore Boeing’s deepening technical and reputational crisis.
NASA has begun preparations to use Boeing's Starliner spacecraft again for crewed missions. The first test flight will take place without astronauts before December 2026. This will test the Starliner's modified thrusters and other systems. If the test is successful, astronauts are planned to be sent to the International Space Station in 2028. This mission will be commanded by NASA's Woody Hoberg.
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