NASA confirms that Starliner’s next mission will be cargo only

NASA has officially clarified the future of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, confirming that its next mission will exclusively transport cargo to the International Space Station (ISS). This announcement, made on Monday, puts to rest months of speculation surrounding the spacecraft's upcoming flight schedule. The uncrewed Starliner-1 mission is now aimed for launch no earlier than April 2026, according to statements from the US space agency. NASA emphasized that achieving this timeline hinges on the successful completion of extensive testing, certification, and mission readiness protocols. Steve Stich, who manages NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, highlighted the ongoing efforts, stating, "NASA and Boeing are continuing to rigorously test the Starliner propulsion system in preparation for two potential flights next year." In a strategic shift, NASA has also reached an agreement with Boeing to amend the existing Commercial Crew contract, initially established in 2014. This contract originally stipulated six crewed flights to the ISS following the spacecraft's certification. Now, the revised plan includes the cargo mission with Starliner-1, followed by up to three additional flights before the ISS is decommissioned. Stich remarked on the modification, saying, "This adjustment allows NASA and Boeing to focus on safely certifying the system in 2026, execute Starliner’s first crew rotation when ready, and align our ongoing flight planning for future Starliner missions based on the station’s operational needs through 2030." Both SpaceX and Boeing were awarded contracts back in 2014 to develop crewed spacecraft for the ISS, with SpaceX successfully completing a crew test flight in mid-2020 and its first operational mission by year’s end. Recently, SpaceX's Crew-11 mission launched in August, with Crew-12 slated for February 15, showcasing the competitive landscape of commercial spaceflight.