NASA astronauts could fly to the International Space Station aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft for the first time.

<p>Boeing and SpaceX once were racing to be the first to carry NASA astronauts to the International Space Station in a privately built spacecraft. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/02/science/spacex-astronauts-splashdown.html?smid=spacecal">That race ended in 2020</a>, with SpaceX emerging as the victor. After technical problems in 2019 and 2021, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/25/science/boeing-starliner-landing-nasa.html?smid=spacecal">Boeing finally sent an uncrewed Starliner</a> to the space station in 2022. After even more delays prompted by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/01/science/nasa-boeing-starliner-delay.html?smid=spacecal">problems with the capsule</a>, it is scheduled to fly a crew of astronauts to the orbital outpost this spring, expanding the number of spacecraft capable of carrying humans into orbit.</p>