NASA announces new missions for Boeing Starliner spacecraft

NASA announced on Monday plans for new missions utilizing Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, following a troubled test flight that left astronauts stranded at the International Space Station for months. The last use of the Starliner was in June 2024, successfully transporting astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore to the ISS for an eight-to-14-day mission.

However, propulsion issues during orbit rendered the spacecraft unsuitable for returning the astronauts, leaving them stranded for nine months before their safe return. A report on the incident attributed the problems to engineering vulnerabilities in the Starliner, classifying it as a Type A mishap, the same severity as the Challenger and Columbia space shuttle disasters.

Boeing and NASA have worked to address these issues, aiming to proceed with two upcoming missions involving the spacecraft, crucial for the US space agency's long-term objectives. The first mission, anticipated by December at the earliest, will be an uncrewed trial to validate recent remediation efforts, led by NASA administrator Jared Isaacman.

Following this, data analysis and implementation of additional changes from the Programme Investigation Team report will occur, paving the way for a crewed Starliner Two mission in 2028. Successful completion of crewed Starliner missions is vital, as SpaceX has indicated plans to cease production of its reusable Crew Dragon capsules, which have been the sole other spacecraft transporting US astronauts to the ISS since 2020.