NASA and Boeing are collaborating on a second uncrewed test flight for the Starliner capsule after its inaugural mission failed to reach the ISS. Time is running out, however, as the launch window narrows.
Since 2014, Boeing has developed the Starliner under a fixed-price NASA contract for crewed and cargo missions to the International Space Station (ISS). Accustomed to cost-plus contracts, Boeing now faces strict budgets, intense scrutiny on overruns, and stiff competition from SpaceX, which shares the same contract. Despite challenges, Boeing delivered the spacecraft on schedule.
SpaceX, meanwhile, successfully completed an uncrewed Crew Dragon test flight before a ground test failure in April 2019. Boeing aimed to follow suit, positioning Starliner for a crewed ISS mission months later to challenge SpaceX head-on.
Starliner's December 2019 debut offered Boeing a bright spot amid a tough year overshadowed by the 737 MAX crashes, including one that claimed 149 passengers and eight crew members.
Those aspirations crumbled quickly. The Atlas V rocket performed flawlessly, but Starliner encountered a critical software issue shortly after reaching orbit, leading to NASA's term: off-nominal insertion. The capsule entered the wrong orbit, expending excess fuel and preventing rendezvous with the ISS. Additional software faults emerged soon after.
A March 2020 investigation report identified more than 80 required fixes. Boeing has addressed them diligently since.
With minor issues resolved, a second uncrewed flight was set for July 30, 2021. Delays followed: first to August 3 due to the Russian Nauka module's ISS docking, then indefinitely after a valve failure in the reaction control system essential for orbital maneuvering.
Boeing and NASA engineers continue troubleshooting, postponing the launch indefinitely. "We'll let the data guide our work," said John Vollmer, Boeing's vice president of the commercial crew program. "Our team has worked tirelessly to ensure mission safety and success. We won't launch until the vehicle performs nominally and our crews are fully confident."
Engineers have days left to resolve issues before the launch window closes.
SpaceX's CRS-23 resupply mission launches August 28, occupying one of the ISS's two available docking ports (the other holds a Crew Dragon). CRS-23 departs September 30, potentially freeing a spot in October. But complications arise.
NASA's Lucy mission to Jupiter's Trojans requires a 21-day window starting mid-October on another Atlas V from United Launch Alliance (ULA). ULA mandates 2-3 weeks between launches. A Starliner flight on October 1 could encroach on Lucy's window, but NASA is likely to prioritize Lucy.
If Boeing misses this window, further delays loom—while SpaceX presses ahead.
