NASA outlines new timeline and upgrades for Boeing Starliner program
NASA announced a plan to launch an uncrewed Starliner test no earlier than December and, if successful, schedule the next crewed flight for mid-2028, while also shifting to the Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle.
NASA said on Monday that the next test flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule will be uncrewed and is slated for no earlier than December. The agency indicated that, contingent on a successful test, the earliest a crewed Starliner mission could occur is mid-2028. > "Before crewed operations resume, some thrusters require a design modification," NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said.
The program will also transition to United Launch Alliance’s new Vulcan Centaur rockets, as the Atlas launchers previously used are being retired. NASA expects to spend an additional $359 million on Starliner upgrades and certification of the Vulcan vehicle for crewed missions.
The update comes as NASA seeks to maintain a steady flow of crew rotations to the International Space Station, which is scheduled for decommissioning in the early 2030s. Currently, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon is the only operational U.S. crew-transport vehicle. NASA recently extended its contract with SpaceX for three more missions at a cost of $946 million, while SpaceX has indicated plans to phase out Dragon in favor of its Starship system.
Isaacman noted that preserving a second U.S. crew-transport capability is important for reliable access to low-Earth orbit. He also highlighted that NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg will command the next crewed Starliner flight and praised the professionalism of the astronauts who endured the previous mission’s extended stay on the station.
The agency classified the June 2024 crewed test, which suffered helium leaks and thruster failures, as a “Type A mishap,” a designation used for incidents causing significant damage or loss of vehicle control.