The launch of Boeing’s first manned Starliner to the International Space Station (ISS) is set to take place in July after several delays, the US aerospace giant and NASA announced on Wednesday, AFP reported.

The CST-100 Starliner mission is not expected to take place until July 21, representatives of the two organizations said.

“We discussed and decided that the best attempt to launch a manned test flight would be no earlier than July 21,” Steve Stich, head of NASA’s commercial manned program, told reporters.

The US space agency wants to create a second vehicle for its astronauts to the ISS, since the SpaceX capsule is already in service.

But Boeing has suffered a series of setbacks that have significantly delayed its schedule, including a botched test flight in 2019. The company finally managed to reach the ISS for the first time in May 2022 — without a crew on board.

Flight delay

At the time, Boeing had hoped to make the first manned flight in 2022, before that was pushed back first to February 2023 and then to April.

“We’re pretty confident about the July 21 date,” said Mark Nappi, Boeing’s Starliner program manager.

According to Steve Stitch, more time is needed to certify the parachute system designed to safely return the astronauts and the capsule to Earth. Ground tests of parachutes will be conducted in May.

The Starliner capsule will carry two NASA astronauts, Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams, to the ISS, where they are expected to stay for at least eight days.

The launch will take place using an Atlas V rocket (manufactured by the United Launch Alliance consortium) from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

If the mission is successful, Boeing’s capsule will finally be able to pass certification and begin operational flights at a date to be determined.

In 2014, NASA signed fixed-price contracts with both SpaceX ($2.6 billion) and Boeing ($4.2 billion).

In reaching out to the two companies, NASA wants to diversify its capabilities so it never again risks running out of America’s transportation system, as it did after the shutdown of the space shuttles in 2011. While SpaceX, NASA was forced to pay for seats in the Russian Union. rockets

Elon Musk’s company, an aerospace newcomer compared to Boeing, has already flown 18 astronauts to the ISS in its own Dragon capsule, as well as four private passengers on a space tourism mission.