Boeing employees work on the corporate’s Starliner capsule in preparation for the first crewed flight test on January 19, 2023.
John Grant / Boeing
Boeing further delaying the first manned launch of the Starliner spacecraft after discovering additional problems with the capsule, the corporate announced together with NASA on Thursday.
The Starliner crew test flight was last scheduled for July 21 to hold a pair of NASA astronauts to the International Space Station. Boeing discovered two latest problems with the Starliner: one affecting the security of its parachute systems, and the opposite related to a selected webbing that turned out to be flammable.
“We now have decided to discontinue preparations for the CFT mission to handle these issues,” Boeing vp and Starliner manager Mark Nappi said at a press conference.
Nappi noted that the discussion about delaying the launch had hit the “top echelons of Boeing”, with CEO Dave Calhoun involved.
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The delay is the newest in a series of disruptions related to Starliner’s first manned flight. The July schedule itself was a lag from the previous April goal. A latest flight goal is underway, NASA and Boeing said Thursday.
The corporate is developing its Starliner spacecraft as a part of NASA’s Industrial Crew program, winning nearly $5 billion in contracts to construct the capsule. Boeing’s program competes with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which is predicted to finish all six of NASA’s originally contracted missions before Boeing makes its first flight.
Boeing was once seen as an equal to SpaceX within the race to launch NASA astronauts, but fell behind resulting from development setbacks.
Because of this of those delays and the everlasting nature of the contract with NASA, Boeing suffered losses of $833 million over greater than two years within the Starliner program.
Nappi on Thursday stressed that Boeing was “still committed” to completing work on the capsule and flying it for NASA.