Butch Wilmore, one of two US astronauts marooned in orbit for roughly nine months, defended the performance and future of the Boeing Co. craft that caused their prolonged trip. “I don’t want to point fingers.

"It is likely to be in the timeframe of late this calendar year or early next year for the next Starliner flight."

Boeing's troubled Starliner capsule that left two NASA astronauts on the International Space Station last year may need to fly a third uncrewed test flight before it carries astronauts again, agency officials said as the spacecraft's first crew had to return to Earth on a SpaceX capsule this week.

Plenty more launches are to come, including another test of SpaceX’s massive Starship rocket, which exploded while in flight in March. Blue Origin is also set to send Katy Perry into space aboard its New Shepard as part of an all-woman mission on April 14th.