As of January 30, 2024, NASA and Boeing are still preparing for the first-ever astronaut mission of Boeing’s Starliner capsule, Crew Flight Test (CFT), to launch in mid-April. 

The Starliner capsule is a reusable spacecraft that can be used up to 10 times with a six-month turnaround time. The Starliner spacecraft will carry two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). 

The Starliner’s first crewed launch has been delayed multiple times. Originally planned for April 2023, the launch was postponed to March 2023 and then to July 2023. The April 2024 launch date is better for accommodating crew rotations and cargo resupply missions

Starliner’s Crew Flight Test will send NASA’s Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the orbiting lab. Boeing’s Starliner astronaut taxi remains on track to make its crewed debut just six weeks or so from now

The Starliner has experienced a number of setbacks, including:

• Software error In 2022, a software error caused the Starliner’s clock to be set to the wrong time. This caused the onboard computer to try to move the spacecraft to the wrong location, using up much of the propellant. 
• Moisture corrosion In 2021, moisture corroded the valves, which interacted with the propellant. By late September 2021, Boeing had not determined the root cause of the problem, and the flight was delayed indefinitely. 
• Uncrewed test flight In December 2019, Boeing’s first uncrewed test flight of Starliner failed to reach its proper orbit and could not rendezvous with the International Space Station as planned. 
• Parachute system Boeing discovered two major problems with the spacecraft, including the type of tape used throughout the inside of the vehicle that turned out to be flammable. The other issue had to do with soft links in the parachutes. In May 2022, Boeing successfully flew Starliner to the space station. It was able to dock, then return home a few days later, landing under parachutes in the New Mexico desert

Starliner’s Crew Flight Test will launch NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the orbiting laboratory for a stay of one to two weeks before returning them to a landing in the southwest United States

Boeing’s Starliner capsule is one of two spacecraft selected by NASA in 2014 to carry astronauts to and from the International Space Station. The contract includes six operational Starliner missions

The Starliner is designed to accommodate seven passengers, but will be configured for five astronauts and one paying passenger. For NASA missions to the ISS, it will carry four passengers and a small amount of cargo. 

Boeing plans to alternate between two reusable crew modules for all planned Starliner missions

Here are some differences between the Starliner and Orion spacecraft:

• Mission The Starliner is designed for low-Earth orbit missions, while the Orion is designed for deep space missions. The Starliner carries astronauts and cargo to and from the International Space Station. The Orion can carry four astronauts beyond low Earth orbit, such as to the Moon and Mars. 
• Size The Starliner is slightly larger than the Apollo command module and SpaceX Dragon 2, but smaller than the Orion capsule. 
• Systems The Orion has unique life support, propulsion, thermal protection, and avionics systems. The Starliner has an innovative, weldless structure and features wireless internet and tablet technology for crew interfaces. 
• Launch vehicle The Starliner can launch on different rockets, such as Atlas V. The Orion can only be launched by the powerful SLS. 
• Docking The Starliner can remain docked to the ISS for up to seven months. The Orion can last up to 21 days undocked and up to six months docked. 

Here are some differences between the Starliner and Dragon spacecraft:

• Design The Starliner is based on the Apollo spacecraft, while the Dragon was designed to be different from previous space capsules. 
• Launch vehicle The Starliner can launch on different rockets, including Atlas V and Vulcan. The Dragon was designed for the Falcon 9 rocket. 
• Landing The Starliner has landing airbags. The Dragon uses SuperDraco engines and parachutes to land. 
• Design life The Starliner has a design life of 60 hours for free flight and 210 days for docking. The Dragon’s design life is 210 days docked at the ISS. Here are some other differences between the Starliner and Dragon:
  • Size The Starliner is 16.5 feet tall and 15 feet in diameter. The Dragon is 8.1 meters tall and 3.7 meters in diameter. 
  • Launch mass The Starliner has a launch mass of 13,000 kilograms. The Dragon has a dry mass of 9,500 kilograms

The Starliner spacecraft is similar in shape to the Apollo spacecraft, but its electronics are more advanced. The Starliner is made up of a conical Crew Module (CM) and a cylindrical Service Module (SM). The CM is connected to the SM, which contains engines and a cooling system. The bottom of the SM is covered with solar cells that provide energy to the spacecraft

The Apollo spacecraft consisted of three components: a command module, a service module, and a lunar module. The Starliner and the Crew Dragon are considered significant upgrades from the Apollo-era capsules and space shuttle orbiters in terms of safety, software, and reusability

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