spacetoday.net: NASA and Boeing studying options for next Starliner test flight

Posted: Sun, Mar 23, 2025, 9:57 AM ET (1357 GMT)
CST-100 Starliner in orbit (Boeing)

NASA says it is working with Boeing on options for another Starliner test flight. At a briefing after the end of the Crew-9 mission this week, NASA said it wants Boeing to perform another test flight of Starliner, with or without people on board, to test changes to the spacecraft's propulsion system intended to correct helium leaks and thruster malfunctions seen on the Crew Flight Test mission last year. If that is successful, NASA expects Starliner to begin crew rotation missions like what SpaceX's Crew Dragon has been doing since 2020. NASA says it still has several months to determine if Starliner will be ready for the next available mission opportunity in early 2026.