NASA and Boeing have delayed the first crewed flight of the Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) until no earlier than Friday, July 21. The mission will test the end-to-end capabilities of the spacecraft, from rocket launch to landing and recovery, with NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Barry Wilmore on board. After the test flight, Boeing will finalize operational readiness for post-certification missions and NASA will certify the Starliner spacecraft and systems for regular, crewed missions to the ISS. The Starliner is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which aims to increase the accessibility of space by collaborating with private firms. If successful, the Starliner would become the second transport vehicle for crewed trips to and from the ISS alongside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule.
NASA sets a new date for the first Starliner crewed flight.
