NASA delays Crew-9 launch as it grapples with Starliner problems

NASA is postponing the launch of the next crew rotation mission to the International Space Station by a month as examines when, or if, Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft can complete its test flight.

The agency announced late Aug. 6 that the launch of the Crew-9 mission, which had been scheduled for as soon as Aug. 18, would be delayed to no earlier than Sept. 24. The delay would provide “operational flexibility” for the agency, it stated.

“This adjustment allows more time for mission managers to finalize return planning for the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test currently docked to the orbiting laboratory,” NASA said. That CFT mission has been docked to the station for two months, far longer than original plans for a stay of as short as eight days.

NASA did not elaborate on the factors that led it to push back Crew-9’s launch, although agency officials will participate in a briefing Aug. 7 to discuss the situation. Ars Technica reported Aug. 5 that NASA would likely delay Crew-9 to correct a software flaw on Starliner that would prevent it from making an automated undocking from the ISS.

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