Boeing’s first manned space mission for NASA has been postponed again, with the first manned flight test (CFT) expected to take place on July 21, 2023.
NASA’s official Twitter feed that the CST-100 Starliner flight will have two NASA test pilots, Sun Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore. the two will stay on the International Space Station for two weeks before returning to Earth The two will stay on the ISS for two weeks before returning to Earth, landing in White Sands, New Mexico.
Assuming all mission objectives are successfully completed, NASA can officially certify Starliner for manned flight and have it alternate with SpaceX’s Crew Dragon to transport astronauts to and from the ISS.
According to Nappi, Boeing “is making the progress we need to be ready for the winter 2024 crew rotation.” Boeing expects Starliner will need to fly once a year once the rotation begins.
