A Starliner is almost born

Move over, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper – a new star(liner) is on the precipice of making its red carpet debut.

Late last night, Boeing was forced to stand down the first piloted launch of its Starliner capsule due to a last-minute issue with an oxygen relief valve, delaying a critical test mission aimed at giving NASA an alternative to SpaceX when ferrying astronauts to and from space.

Background: A decade ago, NASA awarded contracts to SpaceX and Boeing for the two companies to eventually carry the agency’s astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS).

​​The goal of these contracts was to get at least one US spacecraft up and running ASAP following the Space Shuttle program's 2011 retirement, which left NASA fully dependent on Russia for crewed trips to and from the ISS.

Only one company has come through so far:

• Since May 2020, SpaceX has launched 50 people into orbit across 13 piloted missions.
• Boeing has yet to make a successful crewed trip to the ISS, with its Starliner program plagued by years of delays, technical setbacks, and significant over-budget spending.

But Boeing’s latest mission is working to change the narrative. The now-delayed Starliner launch aims to take two astronauts to the ISS as part of a 10-day test mission. If the test proves successful, Starliner could launch its first contracted, six-month crewed mission to the ISS by early 2025.

👀 Looking ahead… A new launch date has yet to be announced, with backup opportunities available as soon as Friday.