Boeing indefinitely delays Starliner astronaut mission for NASA after discovering more issues

Boeing indefinitely delays Starliner astronaut mission for NASA after discovering more issues


Boeing employees work on the company’s Starliner capsule on Jan. 19, 2023, in preparation for the first crew flight test.

John Grant / Boeing

Boeing is further delaying the first crewed launch of its Starliner spacecraft after discovering additional issues with the capsule, the company announced alongside NASA on Thursday.

The Starliner crew flight test was most recently scheduled for July 21 and was due to carry a pair of NASA astronauts to the International Space Station. Boeing discovered two new problems with Starliner: one affecting the safety of its parachute systems and another involving a specific tape that was discovered to be flammable.

“We’ve decided to stand down the preparation for the CFT mission in order to correct these problems,” Boeing VP and Starliner manager Mark Nappi said during a press conference.

Nappi noted that the discussion to delay the launch went to “the top levels of Boeing,” with CEO Dave Calhoun involved.

Sign up here to receive weekly editions of CNBC’s Investing in Space newsletter.

The delay is the latest in a series of disruptions for Starliner’s first crewed flight. The July timeline was itself a delay from a previous target of April. A new flight target is pending, NASA and Boeing said on Thursday.

The company has been developing its Starliner spacecraft under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, having won nearly $5 billion in contracts to build the capsule. Boeing’s program competes with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which is poised to finish all six of its originally contracted NASA missions before Boeing flies its first.

Boeing was once seen as evenly matched with SpaceX in the race to launch NASA astronauts, but fell behind due to development setbacks.

As a result of those delays, and of the fixed-cost nature of its NASA contract, Boeing has accrued $833 million in losses over more than two years on the Starliner program.

Nappi on Thursday emphasized that Boeing is “still committed” to finishing work on the capsule and flying for NASA.

How SpaceX beat Boeing in the race to launch NASA astronauts to space



Source

The  million Trump Card faces legal challenges, limited market
Business

The $5 million Trump Card faces legal challenges, limited market

U.S. President Donald Trump holds “The Trump Card” as he speaks with journalists onboard Air Force One en route to Miami, Florida, U.S., April 3, 2025. Kent Nishimura | Reuters A version of this article first appeared in CNBC’s Inside Wealth newsletter with Robert Frank, a weekly guide to the high-net-worth investor and consumer. Sign up to […]

Read More
Nike will report earnings after the bell. Here’s what Wall Street expects
Business

Nike will report earnings after the bell. Here’s what Wall Street expects

A shopper walks past a Nike store, as global markets brace for a hit to trade and growth caused by U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to impose import tariffs on dozens of countries, in the King of Prussia Mall in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, U.S., April 3, 2025.  Rachel Wisniewski | Reuters Nike is expected […]

Read More
RFK Jr.’s CDC vaccine panel backs Merck RSV shot for infants
Business

RFK Jr.’s CDC vaccine panel backs Merck RSV shot for infants

Nikos Pekiaridis | Nurphoto | Getty Images Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s revamped government panel of outside vaccine advisors on Thursday recommended the use of Merck‘s shot to protect infants from respiratory syncytial virus, a temporary reprieve for public health officials and companies concerned about the Health and Human Services secretary’s immunization policy. The group, called […]

Read More