Jane Edwards
NASA and Boeing have decided to delay the first crewed test flight of the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station to take time to address the safety issues with the capsule’s wiring and parachutes.
The space agency said Thursday Starliner was targeted to lift off in July on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as part of the Crew Flight Test mission, which will transport two NASA astronauts to the ISS.
The CFT mission seeks to demonstrate the spacecraft’s end-to-end capabilities and is the final test flight prior to regular manned missions to the orbiting laboratory.
Mark Nappi, Starliner program manager and vice president at Boeing, said he does not want to commit to any timeframes and that the company is focused on addressing the safety issues with the spacecraft, Space.com reported.
Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, said Starliner could fly in the fall if the company can address the issues with the platform in the next few months.
