Boeing Says Starliner Mission ‘Going Well’

Boeing’s Starliner docks with the International Space Station’s Harmony module during an uncrewed flight test in 2022. [Courtesy: NASA]

Boeing insists its first crewed mission of the Starliner capsule is “going well” despite another delay in the return of its astronauts from the International Space Station.

In a statement on Wednesday, the company said the delay is part of the program and not a failure.

READ MORE: What to Know About Boeing Starliner’s First Crewed Test Flight

“It is a test flight,” the company said. “The mission is still going and it is going well.”

Boeing also said the Starliner was “performing well” and could return to earth at any time if necessary.

The Starliner docked with the ISS on June 6 and was supposed to leave a week later. But a total of five helium leaks and issues with the thrusters pushed that back. It was delayed again and Boeing and NASA have stopped giving projected dates.

READ MORE: Boeing Starliner, Crew Will Return to Earth No Earlier Than June 26

The departure is now scheduled for sometime in July. Many news outlets have used the word “stranded” to describe the plight of astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, which the company is emphatically rejecting.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

Russ NilesAuthor

Russ Niles has been a journalist for 40 years, a pilot for 30 years and joined AVweb in 2003. When he’s not writing about airplanes he and his wife Marni run a small winery in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley.