NASA has confirmed that its next flight of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft will carry only cargo to the International Space Station, marking a significant shift in the program's trajectory. The uncrewed mission is currently scheduled for no earlier than April 2026.
The decision comes after months of speculation and follows a period of intense testing and certification activities by NASA and Boeing. According to Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, the modification allows the agency to focus on safely certifying the Starliner system in 2026, execute its first crew rotation when ready, and align future flight planning based on the space station's operational needs through 2030.
The shift in plans is a result of Boeing's ongoing struggles with the Starliner's propulsion system. The spacecraft experienced significant issues during its initial flights, including software problems and thruster malfunctions. These issues led to several delays and ultimately forced NASA to inform Boeing that the vehicle would need to undergo additional testing before returning to crewed flight operations.
In response to these challenges, NASA has agreed to modify the Commercial Crew contract signed in 2014. The revised plan will see Starliner-1 carrying cargo on its first mission, followed by up to three additional uncrewed missions before the space station is retired. The agency believes that this approach will allow for a safer certification of the system and pave the way for future crewed flights.
The decision marks an important milestone in the development of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, which aims to provide safe and reliable access to low-Earth orbit. With SpaceX's Crew Dragon already flying regular missions to the space station, Boeing's Starliner is now poised to play a critical role in the agency's plans for crewed spaceflight.
The decision comes after months of speculation and follows a period of intense testing and certification activities by NASA and Boeing. According to Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, the modification allows the agency to focus on safely certifying the Starliner system in 2026, execute its first crew rotation when ready, and align future flight planning based on the space station's operational needs through 2030.
The shift in plans is a result of Boeing's ongoing struggles with the Starliner's propulsion system. The spacecraft experienced significant issues during its initial flights, including software problems and thruster malfunctions. These issues led to several delays and ultimately forced NASA to inform Boeing that the vehicle would need to undergo additional testing before returning to crewed flight operations.
In response to these challenges, NASA has agreed to modify the Commercial Crew contract signed in 2014. The revised plan will see Starliner-1 carrying cargo on its first mission, followed by up to three additional uncrewed missions before the space station is retired. The agency believes that this approach will allow for a safer certification of the system and pave the way for future crewed flights.
The decision marks an important milestone in the development of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, which aims to provide safe and reliable access to low-Earth orbit. With SpaceX's Crew Dragon already flying regular missions to the space station, Boeing's Starliner is now poised to play a critical role in the agency's plans for crewed spaceflight.
that it took this long for the Starliner program to get its act together 
. I mean, I remember when the Space Shuttle was still flying, and we thought we were on the cusp of a new era in space exploration 
. Fast forward to today, and it's like, we're just trying not to break everything 
.
But I do hope they can get the Starliner back on track soon. We need more options for crewed spaceflight 
. Boeing just needs to catch up! 
can't believe NASA is ditching crew ops for now 
! Boeing's gotta work out those propulsion issues tho 
- we're talking software probs & thruster malfunctions here... 
NASA's being cautious 'cause safety first, gotta respect that 
. Now, with SpaceX's Crew Dragon doing its thang 
... still rooting for the underdog tho! 
. And what's up with SpaceX already doing all the heavy lifting over there? It's like they're leaving Boeing to play catch-up 
. But hey, at least NASA is being realistic and adapting their plans to avoid any more delays... fingers crossed that Starliner gets its act together soon 
like isn't that the whole point of making it? idk i'm just really confused about this new plan... so it's gonna do some cargo thing first and then maybe crew it later? that sounds kinda weird to me 
what if they need more time to fix the problems? shouldn't they be working on it now instead of making plans for next year? 
so yeah, cargo only first flight is def a bummer, but at least its not gonna put any humans in harm's way, thats what matters right? 
.
. But at the same time, you gotta wonder what could've been if they'd just gotten it right from the start... would we be seeing crewed missions by now? 
.
so its good theyre taking it slow and making sure everything is on point for when they do start crewed flights hopefully boeing gets it together 
and we'll get to see some awesome cargo missions in 2026 
! like, nasa and boeing are taking a smart approach here - acknowledging that they can't rush into something that could put people at risk 
!
like, i know it's not uncommon in space exploration but still... 
hope that the new plan works out 
like NASA and Boeing are literally pouring billions into this program but still struggling with tech issues 
what if they just took more time to get it right instead of rushing into things? its not like the space station is gonna be retired tomorrow 
... at least they're trying 2 fix the problems & get it right 
.