NASA gives Boeing Starliner another shot after 2024 mishap
NASA is giving Boeing's Starliner spacecraft another shot after a wild ride in 2024, when what should have been an eight-to-14-day mission for astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore turned into nine months stuck on the International Space Station (ISS) due to propulsion problems.
NASA called it a "Type A" mishap, basically, as serious as past shuttle disasters.
Uncrewed test expected December 2026
NASA and Boeing have worked to fix the spacecraft's issues, with an uncrewed test flight expected by December 2026 to make sure everything works.
If all goes well, they are aiming for a crewed launch in 2028.
With SpaceX having said it plans to end production of its reusable Crew Dragon capsules, Starliner's success is now extra important for keeping US astronauts flying to the ISS and pushing NASA's future space plans forward.