NASA targets 2028 for Boeing Starliner crewed flight after upgrades
NASA announced that the Boeing Starliner could return to crewed missions as early as 2028, pending successful completion of the uncrewed Starliner-1 test flight and implementation of extensive safety upgrades.
NASA said the Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft may resume crewed flights to the International Space Station by 2028, provided the upcoming uncrewed Starliner-1 mission validates recent design changes. The agency also confirmed it will exercise options for two additional flights, extending the program’s planned roster from four to six missions.
The decision follows a series of setbacks, including a 2024 crewed test that was classified as a Type A mishap after thruster and helium-leak problems prevented the capsule from returning to Earth, forcing the crew to stay aboard the ISS for nine months. Subsequent investigations identified reaction-control thruster performance outside engineering limits as a primary cause.
NASA and Boeing have implemented more than 60 corrective recommendations, adding a redesigned thruster valve, new crew-module thrusters, upgraded batteries, and minor parachute modifications. The next flight will also be launched on United Launch Alliance’s new Vulcan rocket, replacing the retired Atlas V that carried earlier Starliner missions.
If the test flight proceeds without incident, the United States will have two operational crew-rated spacecraft—SpaceX’s Crew Dragon and Boeing’s Starliner—available for ISS transport.