Boeing's first mission carrying astronauts to space aboard its Starliner capsule has been delayed until at least the summer, a NASA official said on Thursday, as people familiar with the matter said last-minute tests and technical debates nixed a plan for an April launch, Trend reports citing Reutes.
Previously planned for late April, the Starliner mission is now slated to launch after a private astronaut mission scheduled for May "as teams assess readiness and complete verification work" for the spacecraft, NASA's space operations chief Kathy Lueders said on Twitter. She did not provide further details about reasons for the delay.
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Starliner's debut crewed mission, which will carry commander Butch
Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams, to the International Space Station
will be a crucial moment for Boeing's space unit. It represents the
spacecraft's final testflight before joining rival SpaceX's Crew
Dragon capsule as the second NASA-approved ride to orbit.