Boeing’s first crewed Starliner launch slips to 2018
An artist’s impression of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft atop an Atlas V rocket. (credit: Boeing Defense)
NASA has pinpointed next year as the time when its dependence upon Russia to fly its astronauts to the International Space Station will finally end. However, one of the two companies now slated to provide that service, Boeing, has said it will not be able to launch a crewed mission of its Starliner spacecraft until 2018 at the earliest.
In a report that first appeared in GeekWire, chief executive officer of Boeing’s defense, space and security division, Leanne Caret, told investors: “We’re working toward our first unmanned flight in 2017, followed by a manned astronaut flight in 2018.” The company has been struggling to limit the mass of the spacecraft and acoustic issues related to its launch vehicle, a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket.
After an intense competition with other providers, Boeing received $ 4.2 billion in 2014 to finalize development of the Starliner capsule, and SpaceX received $ 2.6 billion to finish development of its Dragon capsule. A spokesman for SpaceX told Ars Wednesday night that the company remains on track for crewed missions in 2017.
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