NEW YORK, August 25. / TASS /. The first flight by the Boeing Starliner spacecraft may take place in the summer of 2021, and the second – in the winter of that year, company representative Josh Barrett told TASS on Tuesday.
“We are making good progress towards launching our second unmanned flight test before the end of this year or early January, in order to complete future milestones on both developments. software and test hardware production efforts, “he said.” After success [second unmanned flight], Boeing and NASA will be flying Starliner ‘s first Crew Flight Test mission in the summer of 2021, with the first post – certification mission, Starliner-1, scheduled indefinitely for next winter . “
According to Barrett, astronauts Chris Ferguson, Nicole Mann and Michael Fincke will be on the first flight, and Suni Williams, Josh Cassada and Jeanette Epps will be in the second flight.
Barrett did not rule out that one more than Epps, who was included in the second team by NASA’s decision Tuesday, could also fly, adding that a fourth could a member of the team being a stranger.
The 13-ton Boeing Starliner can take a crew of seven on a 60-hour autonomous flight. It was first launched on December 20, 2019, via Atlas V missiles from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The spacecraft was due to dock with an orbital center on December 22, but, due to technical abuse, the dock was derailed. As a result, the spacecraft was returned to Earth.