Steve Stich, the manager of NASA’s commercial crew program, praised the resilience of the Boeing team involved in the Commercial Crew Program. He mentioned that Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner is expected to return to space soon, aiming to be astronaut-ready after the Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) this summer.
During a press conference on March 18, Stich shared that NASA is working closely with Boeing on certifying Starliner and preparing the vehicle for its next flight. He highlighted the importance of having multiple crew transportation systems and the redundancy they provide for space flight.
Boeing’s first manned test flight included astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who flew Starliner to the ISS on a mission that encountered issues, leading to an early return of the capsule. Stich mentioned the improvements made by Boeing on Starliner, including fixing fuel tank leaks and enhancing thrusters and thermal materials.
The next flight of Starliner will test these changes, with plans for it to potentially join SpaceX Crew Dragon in NASA’s crew rotation. Stich mentioned that the decision on whether the next flight will be crewed or uncrewed is still pending further evaluation and testing.
As of March 19, no specific launch date has been set for Starliner’s return to space, with ongoing developments being monitored closely by NASA and Boeing. The Epoch Times reached out to Boeing for additional comments on the matter.
Jacob Burg contributed to this report.
