Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft program, which heralds the eagerly awaited first crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS), has encountered another setback. Initially planned for a mid-April launch, the Crew Flight Test (CFT) has been pushed back to early May due to scheduling constraints related to the space station, as announced jointly by NASA and Boeing on Friday (Mar 8).
During the Crew Flight Test, Starliner, accompanied by NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, will embark on an approximately 10-day journey to the ISS. The spacecraft is scheduled to blast off atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
This delay represents another obstacle in Starliner’s voyage, which has been progressing under a multibillion-dollar contract with NASA since September 2014. Various technical issues, such as problems with the suspension lines on Starliner’s parachutes and concerns regarding flammable tape surrounding the capsule’s wiring, have contributed to the series of postponements.
The ULA Atlas V rocket has been relocated to the company’s Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, as part of the preparations for stacking operations leading up to NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test.
During the Crew Flight Test, two astronauts aboard the Boeing spacecraft will reside and conduct operations beyond Earth’s atmosphere for approximately a week, marking a significant milestone in the advancement of crewed space exploration.
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