Officials say spacecraft is in stable orbit but problem may delay mission to carry Nasa astronautsBoeing Starliner space capsule goes off course on first test flightBoeing Starliner space capsule goes off course on first test flightBoeing’s new Starliner capsule ran into trouble and went off course in orbit minutes after blasting off on Friday on its first test flight, a crucial dress rehearsal for next year’s inaugural launch with astronauts. But half an hour into the flight, Boeing reported that the capsule had not got into the position needed to get to the International Space Station. The Starliner was supposed to reach the space station on Saturday and remain for a week. The last time was 8 July 2011, when Atlantis – now on display at the Kennedy Space Center – made the final space shuttle flight. Since then, Nasa astronauts have travelled to and from the space station via Kazakhstan, courtesy of the Russian Space Agency.

Source: The Guardian December 20, 2019 15:11 UTC