Boeing Starliner
The Boeing CST-100 Starliner is a class of two partially reusable spacecraft designed to transport crew to the International Space Station (ISS) and other low-Earth-orbit destinations. It is manufactured by Boeing for its participation in NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP). The spacecraft consists of a reusable crew capsule and an expendable service module.
| Manufacturer | Boeing |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Operator | Boeing |
| Applications | ISS crew and cargo transport |
| Specifications | |
| Spacecraft type | Crewed capsule |
| Launch mass | 13,000 kg (29,000 lb) |
| Crew capacity | Up to 7 |
| Dimensions |
|
| Volume | 11 m3 (390 cu ft) |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Design life |
|
| Production | |
| Status | In development and testing |
| Built | 3 |
| Launched | 2 |
| Retired | 1 |
| Maiden launch | December 20, 2019, 11:36:43 UTC (uncrewed) |
The capsule has a diameter of 4.56 m (15.0 ft), which is slightly larger than the Apollo command module and SpaceX Dragon 2, but smaller than the Orion capsule. The Boeing Starliner can hold a crew of up to seven people and can remain docked to the ISS for up to seven months. The Starliner is designed to be reusable for up to ten missions. Starliner launches from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on the Atlas V.
After several rounds of competitive development contracts within the Commercial Crew Program starting in 2010, NASA selected the Boeing Starliner, along with SpaceX Crew Dragon, for the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contract round. The first crewed test flight test was initially planned to occur in 2017.
After a lengthy development process with multiple delays, Boeing flew the Orbital Flight Test 2 on May 19, 2022. As of November 20, 2023, the Crewed Flight Test has been delayed until no earlier than 14 April 2024. This is expected to be the last test flight before Starliner enters operational service with the Starliner-1 mission in 2025.