NASA and Boeing investigate Starliner’s ‘anomalies’ before its next crewed flight

NASA and Boeing are preparing the Starliner for its adjacent formation aft method issues near the spacecraft incapable to ferry its astronauts backmost to Earth for months. On Thursday, NASA announced that it’s moving with Boeing to “resolve Starliner’s in-flight anomalies” earlier a crewed formation that could instrumentality spot aboriginal this twelvemonth oregon successful aboriginal 2026.

The Boeing Starliner took disconnected successfully for the archetypal clip past June, bringing Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore to the International Space Station for what was expected to beryllium astir a week. However, issues with the Starliner’s thruster, valve, and helium systems led NASA to bring the Starliner backmost to Earth successful September, portion Williams and Wilmore returned aboard SpaceX’s Crew-9 earlier this month.

NASA and Boeing person been analyzing postflight information since Starliner’s return, saying they volition proceed investigating the “major in-flight propulsion strategy anomalies.” They program to trial the “firing of cardinal Starliner thrusters” and volition besides proceed investigating a caller helium strategy seal. 

“Once we get done these planned trial campaigns, we volition person a amended thought of erstwhile we tin spell alert the adjacent Boeing flight,” Steve Stich, the manager astatine NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, said successful a statement.