Boeing's Starliner Prepares for Historic Crewed Mission in June

Boeing is preparing for its first crewed space mission in June despite unresolved technical issues with its Starliner spacecraft. The vessel, which has a history of setbacks since its development in 2010, aims to transport astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), a goal SpaceX's Crew Dragon has already achieved.

Scheduled to launch

Scheduled to launch on June 1, Starliner faces challenges, including a helium leak and a faulty valve, which caused a previous mission delay. Although the valve has been replaced, a decision was made not to fix a small leaking seal due to complexity and time constraints. NASA and Boeing believe the leak can be managed, citing past experiences with similar issues on space shuttles and SpaceX's Dragon.

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NASA's Goal

Boeing's success with Starliner is critical for NASA's goal of certifying multiple commercial vehicles for ISS missions, a necessity since the retirement of the space shuttle in 2011. Previous setbacks, including a failed rendezvous with the ISS in 2019 and delays caused by technical issues, have delayed the Starliner program's progress further.

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

Gallery Credit: KATELYN LEBOFF

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