Is Sunita Williams’ spaceship ready for redemption? NASA plans next Starliner takeoff in 2025, but conditions apply

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is preparing to relaunch Boeing’s Starliner in 2025 after the spacecraft faced a major setback during its crewed flight test in June of this year. The Starliner spacecraft had carried NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Bitch Wilmore into space, but returned to Earth without its crew in September.

Starliner flight in 2025, but conditions apply

NASA said in its Tuesday press release: “The timing and configuration of the next Starliner flight will be determined once a better understanding of Boeing’s path to system certification is established.”

“This determination will include considerations to incorporate lessons learned from crew flight testing, approvals of final certification products, and operational readiness,” NASA said.

The US space agency also reported that it “keeps options on the table about the best way to achieve system certification.” This includes “windows of opportunity for a possible Starliner flight in 2025.”

In August 2023, NASA saying that after a “successful first crewed flight”, it will complete the work to certify the Starliner system as a crew operating system for long duration crew rotation missions to the space station.

Starliner’s first crewed flight has a problem

The first crewed Starliner flight into space launched with Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore on June 5. It arrived at the International Space Station on June 6.

The two Starliner astronauts were due to return to Earth on the Boeing spacecraft within days. However, its return was delayed months after Starliner was detected to have technical problems. including helium leaks and thruster failures.

A week-long trip for Wilmore and Williams turned into a mission that lasted more than eight months. Many feared that the two astronauts were “stranded” or “stuck” in space. However, NASA maintained that they could return safely in a “emergency” situation.

To ensure the safety of two NASA astronauts, the US space agency decided to bring back the Starliner on September 6 without its crew. The Boeing spacecraft He landed in New Mexico on September 7..

Sunita Williams will return home in 2025

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will now return home on SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft in February 2025. They will accompany members of the Crew-9 mission (NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov) on their flight return space in February 2025.

NASA announced on October 1, 2024 that checkouts had been completed and Crew-9 Dragon was now the normal and emergency return spacecraft for the four-person crew. Meanwhile, Wilmore and Williams will continue their work aboard the space station as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew.

Can Boeing’s Starliner Get NASA Certification?

After the successful return of the Starliner, NASA saying In a statement, “Although it was necessary to return the spacecraft uncrewed, NASA and Boeing learned a tremendous amount about Starliner in the most extreme environment possible.”

“NASA looks forward to continuing to work with the Boeing team to move toward Starliner certification for crew rotation missions to the space station,” the statement added.

Starliner previously failed in a 2019 test to launch to the ISS without a crew, but succeeded in a repeat attempt in 2022, where it also encountered problems with the booster. Its June mission, with its first crew, was necessary before NASA could certify the capsule for routine flights.

But now, Path to Starliner crew certification uncertain, Reuters reported on August 24, when NASA officials announced that the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, and not the Starliner, would bring the two astronauts home.

Boeing struggled for years to develop Starliner, to compete with Crew Dragon as America’s second option for sending astronaut crews to and from Earth orbit.

NASA, Boeing, SpaceX and manned flights

NASA selected Boeing and SpaceX in September 2014 to transport crews to the International Space Station from the United States.

“These integrated spacecraft, rockets and associated systems will carry up to four astronauts on NASA missions, maintaining a crew of seven on the space station to maximize time spent on scientific research in the orbital laboratory,” NASA said.

The crewed flight test is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA said the goal of this program “is safe, reliable and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station and low-Earth orbit.”