May Not Fly Until 2020, According To Reports

The first flight of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft to ISS may not take place by the end of this year instead of later this month may not take place until the end of 2019 or sometime in 2020.

Mashable India reports that the company is citing "technical issues" with the spacecraft. Boeing and SpaceX are vying for the distinction of flying the first astronauts to the station from American soil. Currently, NASA pays Russia millions of dollars for each trip to ISS aboard Soyuz spacecraft. NASA has awarded contracts valued at nearly $7 billion for the development of the spacecraft.

The "technical issues" with the Starliner have not been specified by Boeing.

Meanwhile, Boeing continues to train astronauts Nicole Mann and Mike Fincke, and Boeing astronaut and test pilot Christopher Ferguson at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston for the company's first manned mission. Ferguson, who commanded the last space shuttle mission to the space station eight years ago, left an American flag aboard the station to be brought back by the next crew to launch from American soil to the station.

(Image from file)

FMI: Source report