NASA plans uncrewed Starliner test before a possible 2028 crewed flight
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The Facts
- NASA plans an uncrewed Starliner mission to the International Space Station no earlier than December 2026.
- The uncrewed Starliner-1 mission is intended to test and validate spacecraft upgrades.
- NASA and Boeing target 2028 for Starliner’s next crewed mission.
- NASA plans propulsion-system redesigns before Starliner resumes crewed operations.
- Starliner carried NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore to the ISS in June 2024.
- Propulsion problems prevented Williams and Wilmore from returning aboard Starliner.
- Williams and Wilmore returned to Earth aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon after about nine months at the ISS.
- NASA seeks multiple crew-transportation options for missions to low Earth orbit.
Context
Why will Starliner fly without astronauts first?
NASA and Boeing plan to use the Starliner-1 mission to test upgrades and gather data needed to assess and certify the spacecraft for future crewed flights. Профиль India Today La Voz de Galicia
What happened on Starliner’s 2024 crewed test flight?
After Starliner brought Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore to the ISS, propulsion problems led NASA to decide they would return on a SpaceX Crew Dragon rather than the Boeing capsule. NYT NDTV Hill
When could astronauts next fly on Starliner?
NASA’s current plan places the next crewed Starliner mission in 2028, contingent on the uncrewed test and further safety and certification work. Профиль CBS News CNN International
Where Left and Right agree, and where they split
Left and right largely agree on this one.
- Where Left and Right agree
- Starliner shouldn't carry a crew again until the uncrewed validation flight proves the propulsion redesigns work, given the failure that stranded Williams and Wilmore for nine months.
- Where Left and Right differ in emphasis
- NASA's duty to spend public money only on a proven system, or Boeing earning back its slot as a commercial provider through demonstrated performance.
- Why they won’t converge
- The divide is trust-in-institution: both sides accept the same failure timeline and redesign plan, but split on whether NASA's certification process for an uncrewed flight can be trusted to actually verify fixes rather than just clear a schedule.
How left and right read it
Public money behind a second ride to orbit is defensible; public money behind it before the propulsion redesigns are proven is not. Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore spent about nine months at the station and came home aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon because Starliner's propulsion failed them. That is why the uncrewed validation flight has to prove the fixes. No crew flies until it does.
“NASA will throw more money behind Boeing's troubled astronaut capsule to get it fixed and flying again.” — The Independent
A provider earns its slot by delivering. NASA's interest in multiple crew-transportation options is sound, yet reciprocity runs both ways: because propulsion problems left Williams and Wilmore riding home on a Crew Dragon after about nine months, the burden of proof now sits with the uncrewed validation mission and the propulsion redesigns promised before crewed operations resume. What must Starliner show before 2028 counts as more than a target?
The receipts — all 79 sources
Wire services (5)
Independent coverage (50)
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