Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner Crewed Flight Delayed to Early May Due to ISS Schedule Conflicts
The highly anticipated first crewed flight of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner has experienced a setback, with its launch date being pushed from late April to early May. However, the delay is not due to any issues with the spacecraft itself but rather due to conflicts in the International Space Station (ISS) schedule. NASA released a media advisory on March 8, stating that the Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission, originally planned for April 22, will now take place in early May. While the agency did not provide further details about the scheduling conflicts, it emphasized that the spacecraft is in excellent condition.
NASA managers have highlighted that the primary factor influencing the CFT schedule is the presence of other missions to the ISS. Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, explained during a briefing after SpaceX’s Crew-8 mission launch on March 3 that they are closely monitoring the progress of both the Crew-8 launch and the CRS-30 mission. SpaceX’s CRS-30 cargo mission is set to launch in mid-March and will remain at the station for approximately one month. Once it departs, the Crew-8 spacecraft will vacate its current forward docking port on the Harmony module, making way for the Starliner to utilize it. These two ports are the only available options for both Starliner and Dragon spacecraft.
Stich emphasized that managing the complex traffic flow around the ISS is a critical factor in determining when the Starliner can take flight. He reassured that preparations for the Starliner itself are progressing smoothly, stating, “The spacecraft is in really good shape. There’s not much work left to go.” During a briefing on February 25, he also mentioned that NASA and Boeing had successfully resolved technical issues that caused delays in the CFT mission last summer. These included conducting a final parachute test in January to confirm the enhanced strength of redesigned links in the parachute lines, as well as addressing concerns regarding flammable wiring tape inside the spacecraft and valve problems in the thermal control system. Stich added that they are currently finalizing the certification work on the parachutes and a few other aspects.
The upcoming CFT mission will be launched on a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket and will carry NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the ISS. They are expected to spend up to two weeks on the station before returning to Earth. A successful flight will pave the way for NASA to certify the Starliner for crew rotation missions, with the first one, Starliner-1, planned for early 2025.
In a separate announcement on March 8, NASA revealed its plans for the return of Crew-7, which has been aboard the ISS since late August 2023. The agency stated that the four members of Crew-7, namely NASA’s Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA’s Andreas Mogensen, JAXA’s Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos’ Konstantin Borisov, will depart in their Crew Dragon spacecraft on March 10 at 11:05 a.m. Eastern time. The spacecraft is scheduled to splash down off the coast of Florida on March 12 at 5:35 a.m. Eastern time.
Despite the delay in the Starliner’s crewed flight, NASA remains committed to ensuring the safety and success of its missions to the ISS. The agency’s ongoing collaboration with Boeing and SpaceX continues to push the boundaries of human space exploration, bringing us one step closer to a future where space travel becomes a routine reality.
