The first manned flight of Starliner to the ISS has been postponed to mid-2028

The first regular operational flight of the Starliner spacecraft with a crew on board to the ISS has been postponed to mid-2028.

NASA plans to launch an uncrewed Starliner 1 mission to the ISS no earlier than December 2026 to confirm the results of the troubleshooting work.

NASA will allocate approximately $359 million to improve Starliner engines and on-board systems, as well as to certify the new Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle.

WASHINGTON, September 28 – RIA Novosti. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and Boeing Commercial Program Manager John Mulholland announced at a joint press conference that the Starliner's first scheduled operational flight with a crew on board to the ISS will be postponed to mid-2028.

"NASA is targeting no earlier than December 2026 for an uncrewed Starliner 1 mission to the International Space Station to confirm the results of recent troubleshooting efforts. Based on this, we will collect data, proceed with the remaining changes recommended in the investigation team's report, and schedule a crewed Starliner 2 mission for 2028," Isaacman said.

For his part, Mulholland noted that the ship's readiness for the Starliner 2 mission, taking into account the necessary reserve time, is expected by mid-2028.

Astronaut Woody Hoburg has been appointed commander of the first operational crew, Isaacman said, adding that immediate preparations for a manned launch will begin after the problems with the spacecraft's systems are resolved.

As NASA program manager for the International Space Station Dana Weigel clarified, the agency will additionally allocate about $359 million to refine the Starliner engines and onboard systems, as well as to certify the new Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle.

NASA previously planned to use Starliner for a maximum of six missions. During a test flight in the summer of 2024, the ship carried astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams to the ISS, but suffered technical problems, including failure of the attitude control engines, which created risks for the crew.