The terrestrial return of Boeing’s new Starliner spacecraft has been delayed to June 18 as mission analysts probe issues that could affect the capsule’s reentry, NASA and Boeing said on June 11.
The CST-100 Starliner was originally slated to undock from the International Space Station (ISS) on June 14 before returning to Earth. Boeing and NASA launched the capsule with two crew members, Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams, on June 5.
The flight is a crucial test mission for Boeing to win NASA’s approval to certify Starliner for space travel, marking the end of a 10-year, multibillion-dollar research and development process.
NASA officials in Houston are weighing multiple factors while scheduling Starliner’s return, including resolutions to defective components, the weather, and dealing with scheduled astronaut spacewalks aboard the ISS....
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