Boeing Starliner

The Starliner in a hangar long before flight.
The Starliner in a hangar long before flight.

The Boeing CST-100 is a class of two partially reusable spacecraft designed to transport crew to the International Space Station (ISS) and other low-Earth-orbit destinations. It is manufactured by Boeing for its participation in NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP).

In late 2019 the uncrewed Boeing Starliner Orbital Flight Test (Boe-OFT) launched on a Atlas V N22 and reached orbit, but the flight was not successful. NASA allowed Boeing a repeat test flight, Boe-OFT 2, which was to launch in August 2021, but was cancelled due to technical problems. OFT-2 ended up launching on 19 May 2022.

Flight in 2024, launch with astronauts, return without astronauts

On March 18, 2025, the two astronauts of the Boeing Crew Flight Test, returned to Earth.

As of [the first week of March 2025], the two astronauts [were] still at the ISS; However, the spacecraft came back to Earth in September 2024; The astronauts were left, on purpose, at the ISS.

Earlier (July 25), media said that "NASA and Boeing [... have not, or] have yet to set a return date"; The spacecraft is still in dock (in Space) at the ISS.

Earlier (June 24, 2024), media said that the trip from the International Space Station (back) to Earth, had already been delayed for some days.

The space vehicle was supposed to have been back to Earth, no earlier than June 22, 2024. Earlier (June 5), the rocket was launched.


On June 5, 2024, Starliner launched for the first time with humans on board as the second required flight test.

References

  1. ↑ Memi, Edmund G.; Morgan, Adam K. (September 23, 2009). "Boeing Submits Proposal for NASA Commercial Crew Transport System" (Press release). Boeing.
  2. ↑ "Boeing's New CST-100 'Starliner' Processing Facility Taking Shape at KSC". 4 September 2015.
  3. ↑ Memi, Edmund G.; Rye, Jessica F. (August 4, 2011). "Boeing Selects Atlas V Rocket for Initial Commercial Crew Launches" (Press release). Boeing. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
  4. ↑ Malik, Tariq (22 December 2019). "Boeing's 1st Starliner Spacecraft Lands in New Mexico After Shortened Test Flight". space.com. SPACE.com. Retrieved 2019-12-29.
  5. ↑ "Boeing Starliner test flight planned for spring 2022". SpaceNews. 2021-12-20. Retrieved 2021-12-25.
  6. ↑ Berger, Eric (2021-12-14). "Leaky valve issue forces Boeing to swap out Starliner's service module". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2021-12-25.
  7. ↑ https://www.vg.no/nyheter/i/pPvjXE/nasa-astronauter-strandet-i-verdensrommet-i-flere-maaneder-tilbake-paa-jordkloden. Retrieved 2025-03-31
  8. ↑ https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2861172/troubled-boeing-starliner-returns-to-earth. Retrieved 2024-09-07
  9. ↑ https://www.nrk.no/urix/astronauter-pa-tur-i-atte-dager-kan-bli-sittende-fast-til-2025-1.16997988. Retrieved 2024-08-11
  10. ↑ https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-07-25/boeing-crew-s-return-from-space-station-still-in-limbo?srnd=homepage-europe. Retrieved 2024-08-01
  11. ↑ https://www.newsweek.com/butch-wilmore-suni-williams-boeing-starliner-international-space-station-astronaut-1916530. Retrieved 2024-06-26
  12. ↑ Sheetz, Michael (2024-06-05). "Boeing Starliner launches for the first time carrying NASA astronauts to the ISS". CNBC. Retrieved 2024-06-05.