BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — NASA and Boeing have announced a major crew change to the first crewed launch of the CST-100 Starliner next year.
Boeing astronaut and shuttle veteran Chris Ferguson has decided to stand down from the launch due to other commitments. A Boeing spokesperson said one of Ferguson’s commitments that will result in him missing the crewed launch is his daughter’s wedding.
READ: SpaceX stands down from Starlink mission due to ‘weather violations’
On Wednesday, Boeing and NASA announced that astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore will join astronauts Mike Fincke and Nicole Mann for the Boeing crewed flight test.
Wilmore has been training side-by-side with the crew since being named the sole backup for all flight positions in 2018.
I’m taking on a new mission, one that keeps my feet planted here firmly on Earth and prioritizes my most important crew – my family. I’ll still be working hard with the #Starliner team and the @NASA_Astronauts on our crew. pic.twitter.com/PgdhPqwYQS
— Christopher Ferguson (@Astro_Ferg) October 7, 2020
WATCH: SpaceX successfully launches 60 Starlink satellites
Ferguson will continue to lead in the development of Starliner, which still is targeting a second uncrewed flight test to the space station no earlier than this December.
Top Stories:
1. More than 8,800 part-time Disney cast members laid off, union says
