Starliner that stranded Sunita Williams in space will not fly until 2026
According to NASA, at present, four spacecraft—including SpaceX Dragon, Soyuz MS-27, and two Progress resupply ships—are docked to the ISS, supporting a dynamic crew rotation and steady resupply.
In Short
- In early July, the private Ax-4 mission departed the ISS
- SpaceX’s Cargo Dragon wrapped up its latest resupply in late May
- It marks an unprecedented era of activity for the ISS since its inception in 2000
It does not look like Boeing's Starliner will get clearance to fly to space till 2026.
The International Space Station (ISS) is experiencing one of its busiest periods on record, with spacecraft arrivals and departures occurring almost every few weeks in a flurry of global and commercial activity.
In early July, the private Ax-4 mission departed the ISS to make way for NASA’s upcoming Crew-11 mission, while SpaceX’s Cargo Dragon wrapped up its latest resupply in late May.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Progress 92 cargo ship docked on July 5, joining a lineup of international vehicles currently berthed at the orbital outpost.
According to NASA, at present, four spacecraft—including SpaceX Dragon, Soyuz MS-27, and two Progress resupply ships—are docked to the ISS, supporting a dynamic crew rotation and steady resupply.
This high frequency of traffic is expected to continue, as up to six more vehicles are scheduled to launch to the station before year’s end, carrying crew members, research payloads, and new technology demonstrations. The breadth of participation from NASA, Roscosmos, SpaceX, and partners marks an unprecedented era of activity for the ISS since its inception in 2000.
Notably, missing from this parade of vehicles for the remainder of 2025 is Boeing’s Starliner. After its first astronaut mission in June 2024, which brought NASA astronauts Sunita “Suni” Williams and Butch Wilmore to the ISS, Starliner encountered issues with its thruster systems, specifically in its doghouse-enclosed reaction control clusters.
The capsule’s safe uncrewed return underscored ongoing technical concerns. Though NASA and Boeing initially aimed for a return to flight by late 2025, a new timetable has shifted the next Starliner mission to no sooner than early 2026.
Engineers are currently performing extensive tests and evaluations at NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico.
Meanwhile, astronauts Williams and Wilmore ultimately joined SpaceX’s Crew-9 rotation, extending their stay on the station far beyond the planned one week.
They returned to Earth aboard Crew Dragon Freedom earlier this year, reflecting the ISS’s adaptability as new crew vehicles come online and face real-world shakedowns.
As the ISS continues to host an ever-changing suite of international visitors, it remains at the heart of global space exploration, even as new spacecraft like Starliner work through the demanding realities of orbital service.