Boeing's troubled Starliner won't carry astronauts on its next mission

"Monday's announcement comes eight months after the first and only Starliner crew returned to Earth aboard SpaceX after a prolonged mission. Although NASA test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams managed to dock Starliner to the International Space Station in 2024, the capsule had so many problems that NASA ordered it to come back empty, leaving the astronauts stuck there for more than nine months."

"NASA is also slashing the planned number of Starliner flights, from six to four. If the cargo mission goes well, then that will leave the remaining three Starliner flights for crew exchanges before the space station is decommissioned in 2030. "NASA and Boeing are continuing to rigorously test the Starliner propulsion system in preparation for two potential flights next year," NASA's commercial crew program manager Steve Stich said in a statement."

Boeing and NASA agreed to exclude astronauts from the next Starliner flight and perform a cargo-only trial to demonstrate safety. The decision follows a 2024 mission that docked to the International Space Station but suffered multiple problems, prompting astronauts to return on a SpaceX flight after more than nine months. Engineers are investigating thruster and other issues. The next cargo run is planned no earlier than April, pending tests and certification. NASA reduced planned Starliner flights from six to four; if the cargo mission succeeds, three remaining flights could support crew exchanges before the station retires in 2030.

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