(ORDO NEWS) — The first manned flight of Boeing’s Starliner space capsule has been pushed back to April, NASA announced Thursday.
The US space agency wants to create a second vehicle for flights to the International Space Station, in addition to the SpaceX capsule, which is already in operation.
However, Boeing suffered a series of setbacks that significantly delayed its program. In May 2022, the company finally managed to reach the ISS for the first time, but without a crew on board.
Boeing initially hoped to make its first manned flight in 2022, but the launch has been pushed back to February 2023. The new delay will allow traffic to the ISS to be regulated, NASA said without elaborating.
This test flight, dubbed the Crew flight test, will feature NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams. They will have to stay on the ISS for about two weeks.
If the mission is successful, the Boeing capsule will finally be certified and put into service.
—
Online:
Contact us: [email protected]
Our Standards, Terms of Use: Standard Terms And Conditions.