He The Starliner project, the fruit of a collaboration between Boeing and Bigelow Aerospace and which is framed by NASA CCDev plays a key role in the US space agency’s most important need to diversify suppliers in key aspects (this is in fact the raison d’être of CCDev) and of course the ability to transport people to low orbit (including the International Space Station) is on this list.

The problem is, until now The only option available in this sense within the private sector is that offered by SpaceX. And mind you, this is not a criticism of the company’s past services in transporting crews to and from the International Space Station, a task it has handled with flying colours. What will happen, and even more so in the current situation between the West and Russia, is that any problem that affects the operation of SpaceX can translate into big problems for the operations of the ISS crews.

So the Starliner project Having an alternative is crucial for the US space agency to SpaceX’s Dragon, and this explains the nervousness that spread in 2021, when after several previous delays and when everything seemed ready for its first (unmanned) flight to the International Space Station, this mission had to be postponed several times. . This was finally successfully carried out in mid-2022, and since then the next step has been awaited.

The good news is that this one finally seems to be very close because, as we read in DigitalTrends, The process of refueling the Starliner has already begun for its first manned mission, which is scheduled for the month of May.. We’re talking about a process that has to be done under very controlled conditions and that will take about two weeks, after which there will be some adjustments and final checks, and if everything goes well, one of the green lights important to move the launch plans forward.

The success of the 2022 test mission, along with all tests conducted to date, indicate that Boeing and Bigelow Aerospace’s vehicle already provides the level of safety necessary to conduct the final test, because this mission is still set in the context of the samebut with crew members and intended for the International Space Station.