NASA is targeting December 2026 for an uncrewed test flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station, a milestone the programme has been working towards.

The mission would be a key step in getting the troubled capsule back on track, with a crewed flight pencilled in for 2028 if the test succeeds.

Starliner has suffered a string of technical problems, including thruster faults that left astronauts stranded on the space station and forced the capsule to return without its crew.

Boeing and NASA engineers have spent months working through the issues, and the December flight would need to go flawlessly to rebuild confidence in the vehicle. The capsule’s problems have already cost Boeing heavily and delayed the programme by years.

The space agency has stressed that crew safety remains the priority. If the uncrewed mission hits its targets, astronauts could finally fly aboard Starliner two years later, restoring a second American route to the station.