Boeing wants to take people into space as early as March –

Space tourism will be the next big thing. Airlines have been exploring ways to get passengers into space for a while, and Boeing is one of the leading companies tackling this.

The aircraft maker has been hard at work on what is called the Boeing Starliner, a method of getting regular passengers into space to see the stars and Earth with their own eyes from above. The project was expected to launch as early as this year, but was hit by a delay, but Boeing has now given an update on when we can expect it to begin launches.

In a press release (thanks, CNBC), Boeing VP and Starliner manager Mark Nappi stated: “Based on current plans, we expect to be ready with the spacecraft by early March. That does not mean we will have a launch date in early March. We are now working with NASA – Commercial Crew program and [International Space Station] – and ULA [United Launch Alliance] to potential launch dates based on our readiness … We will work over the next few weeks and see where we can get fit and then we will set a launch date.”

Essentially, there is a world in which Starliner could be manning operational launches next year, assuming the test flights go according to plan, but if not, it could launch properly in 2025 or beyond.