NASA Schedules Fresh Starliner Flights After Historic ISS Rescue

NASA announced Monday that it will move forward with a series of new flights using Boeing’s CST‑100 Starliner, the first operational missions since the vehicle’s recent test flight left two astronauts stranded aboard the International Space Station for an extended period.

The problematic test, meant to prove the capsule’s autonomous docking capability, suffered a software glitch that prevented a timely connection, forcing the crew to remain on the station while a backup vehicle was readied.

The Starliner effort, a partnership between NASA and Boeing, was created to give the United States its own crew‑transport option alongside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon and to reduce reliance on Russian Soyuz. Development has been plagued by schedule slips and cost increases, with the latest docking issue highlighting remaining technical challenges.

In the newly outlined schedule, NASA expects at least two crewed missions over the next few years, each targeting a six‑month stay on the ISS. An additional uncrewed cargo flight is also planned, using the same capsule to ferry supplies and scientific payloads.

Re‑establishing confidence in Starliner is seen as essential for maintaining diversified access to low‑Earth orbit, a key component of NASA’s broader objectives that include lunar return missions and eventual crewed journeys to Mars.

Boeing must now complete a series of certification tests, including a repeat of the autonomous docking maneuver later this year. NASA will review the outcomes before granting final flight‑readiness approval for the spacecraft.