NASA, Boeing Forgo Starliner Crewed Flight Test Until June Earliest

The postponement marks the fifth delay to the long-awaited mission, which would be the first time humans have flown on Starliner.

Wednesday, May 22, 2024 at 02:27 PM ET

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Boeing’s Starliner capsule successfully docks with the International Space Station during its second uncrewed flight test in May 2022. [Courtesy: Boeing]

Key Takeaways:

Boeing's Starliner Crewed Flight Test (CFT), plagued by a decade of delays, has been postponed again and is now targeting a launch no earlier than June 1st.
Recent postponements are attributed to an oscillating pressure valve on the Atlas V rocket and a small helium leak found on Starliner's service module, with ongoing assessments to understand potential impacts on return scenarios.
NASA views Starliner as a critical redundant crew transport option to the ISS alongside SpaceX's Crew Dragon, despite the program's long development challenges and mounting pressure to complete this final test flight.

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Boeing’s Starliner, a semireusable vessel to the International Space Station (ISS) that has contended with a decade of delays to its inaugural Crewed Flight Test (CFT), will now launch no earlier than June

After postponing the previously announced May 25 launch attempt of the Starliner CFT on Tuesday, NASA on Wednesday said that it, Boeing, and launch provider United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, are targeting no earlier than Saturday, June 1, at 12:25 p.m. EDT for the next attempt. Additional launch windows include Sunday, June 2, Wednesday, June 5, and Thursday, June 6.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.