NASA Moves to Expand Starliner Flights as SpaceX Plans to Retire Crew Dragon

NASA is set to order two more crewed flights for Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner and will help fund the repair of its propulsion system, sources familiar with the matter told Ars Technica. The agency also intends to support certification of the capsule for launch on United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V, a rocket that ULA plans to retire after its remaining six vehicles, all currently assigned to Starliner missions.

Starliner’s first crewed test in June 2024 experienced helium leaks and thruster failures, forcing the spacecraft to return to Earth without its crew, who later returned on a Crew Dragon vehicle. NASA said in February that progress had been made on the technical issues and that an uncrewed test flight was targeted for April, a launch that ultimately did not occur. Completion of the uncrewed mission, designated Starliner-1, is required before the capsule can receive full operational certification for crewed flights, which could allow up to five subsequent missions.

Boeing has reported cumulative program losses exceeding $2 billion in 2025, and NASA’s spending on Starliner development and certification has surpassed that for Crew Dragon, which has completed 13 crewed missions to the International Space Station. Meanwhile, NASA awarded SpaceX a $946 million contract modification to fly three additional ISS missions with Crew Dragon, extending the contract through 2030. SpaceX President and CEO Gwynne Shotwell told the All-In Podcast that Boeing should be allowed to use its capsule, noting that the government has already funded its development.

The agency’s actions aim to ensure a reliable crew-transport capability for low-Earth-orbit operations beyond the end of the decade, as the ISS is also scheduled for retirement around 2030.