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Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft program faces continued uncertainty as NASA recently announced another delay in its next flight schedule, pushing it to early 2026 at the soonest. This new schedule adjustment marks a significant departure from the previously anticipated launch date of late 2025. NASA has attributed the delay to ongoing system certifications and the need to resolve technical issues with the spacecraft.

On its maiden crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS) one year ago, the Starliner experienced complications including helium leaks and propulsion system anomalies. These issues ultimately led the spacecraft to return to Earth uncrewed, landing at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico on September 7, 2024. The mission was initially intended to certify the Starliner for regular crewed flights, but the complications pushed back subsequent plans.

NASA and Boeing are currently conducting extensive tests at White Sands Test Facility to address these technical challenges. These tests include integrated firings of Starliner's key thrusters within the service module, aiming to validate thermal models and inform potential upgrades to the propulsion and thermal protection systems.

Despite successfully docking with the ISS and having NASA astronauts Sunita "Suni" Williams and Barry "Butch" Wilmore as part of the mission, the spacecraft's technical issues have necessitated meticulous corrective actions. In an interview with Reuters, Williams suggested that an uncrewed flight should logically be the next step to validate the fixes before carrying astronauts again.

These complications have also impacted crew assignments for future Starliner missions. The initial crew for the first post-certification mission, dubbed Starliner-1, included NASA astronauts Scott Tingle, Edward Michael "Mike" Fincke, and CSA astronaut Joshua Kutryk. However, recent reassignments have left the status of some crew members uncertain. Fincke and JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui have been reassigned to SpaceX Crew-11, raising questions about the revised Starliner-1 lineup.

NASA has yet to confirm whether the next Starliner flight will indeed be crewed or uncrewed. While efforts are underway to enhance the spacecraft's reliability, the agency aims to ensure all technical issues are thoroughly addressed before making a final decision. The ongoing adjustments highlight both the complexities and the high stakes involved in certifying new spacecraft for human spaceflight.