Boeing’s Starliner Crew Flight Test Delayed to May
Boeing’s highly anticipated Crew Flight Test (CFT) of their Starliner capsule has once again faced delays and is now tentatively scheduled for an early May launch. Initially planned for mid-April, the mission was pushed back due to space station scheduling issues.
The CFT mission is set to send the Starliner, along with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, to the International Space Station for a 10-day stay. However, technical issues with Starliner’s main parachutes and wiring have caused previous setbacks in launching the mission.
Boeing has been diligently working on the development of the Starliner capsule under a multibillion-dollar contract signed with NASA in 2014. The spacecraft has completed two uncrewed test flights so far, with the first mission experiencing issues and the second test launch proving successful in May 2022.
In comparison, SpaceX, another company with a commercial crew contract from NASA, has had a string of successful missions to the ISS. The most recent one, Crew-8, was launched on March 3, marking SpaceX’s eighth operational astronaut mission to the space station.
As space exploration continues to evolve, both Boeing and SpaceX are paving the way for future crewed missions to the ISS and beyond. With the spotlight now on Boeing’s upcoming Starliner CFT mission, space enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting the spacecraft’s journey to the International Space Station in May.
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