NASA chief will make the final decision on how Starliner crew flies home

Enlarge / SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Cargo Dragon spacecraft, seen here with the new launch tower and access arm at SLC-40. (credit: SpaceX)

NASA on Tuesday confirmed that it is delaying the launch of its next astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Crew 9, until at least September 24. This is a significant slip from the previous date of August 18.

The space agency said the delay was necessary for "operational flexibility" as it continues to deliberate on the viability of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. In the release, NASA stated, "This adjustment allows more time for mission managers to finalize return planning for the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test currently docked to the orbiting laboratory."

NASA also cited other reasons for the delay, including a deconfliction of traffic at the space station, such as a Soyuz launch scheduled for mid-September.