After stranding astronauts, Boeing Starliner's next mission will only carry cargo

Boeing's Starliner has been consigned to acting as a space delivery van, at least for its next mission. The beleaguered spacecraft's future was uncertain after stranding astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Witmore on the International Space Station for 286 days.

Starliner was supposed to dock with the ISS for 8 days and then return to Earth with its crew. However, after thruster problems were discovered during docking, the return trip was delayed. After studying the issues with Starliner's thrusters and helium leaks, NASA determined it was unsafe to send the crew back on Starliner and sent it home uncrewed.

After the stranding, it was unclear if Boeing would ever complete Starliner's contract for six crewed missions. NASA has released a statement that NASA and Boeing have "mutually agreed to modify the contract," reducing the number of missions to four, with the "remaining two available as options."

The next Starliner flight, known as Starliner-1, will be used by NASA to deliver necessary cargo to the orbital laboratory and allow in-flight validation of the system upgrades implemented following the Crew Flight Test mission last year.

The uncrewed mission is scheduled for sometime in 2026, allowing time for testing and certification, with crewed missions to follow.

Previously:
• Starliner spacesuits not compatible with SpaceX Dragon
• Mystery solved of eerie sound coming through Starliner speaker docked at space station
• Starliner returns safely to Earth, without the astronauts