Boeing CST-100 Starliner

Boeing is developing the Starliner as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program which means NASA is paying the lion’s share of the development cost, but Boeing will be able to put the spacecraft to commercial use as well.  Starliner is designed to fly to low-Earth orbit, specifically to the ISS.  Initially, the Starliner will carry four professional astronauts and deliver them to the space station where it will be positioned for six months (serving as the emergency escape vehicle/lifeboat) until returning the crew to Earth at the end of their mission. The spacecraft will then be inspected and re-used for a future flight.

The Starliner will launch on the reliable Atlas V rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. An un-crewed test flight is currently targeted for April 2019, with the first crewed flight anticipated at the end of the year.