Boeing says Starliner redesign progressing, aims for cargo launch later this year

Boeing’s chief executive, Kelly Ortberg, told analysts on a quarterly earnings call that the company’s effort to redesign the Starliner spacecraft’s propulsion system is proceeding well. He said the firm is “feeling pretty good” about the progress and is now focusing on coordinating a launch date with NASA for a cargo-only mission to the International Space Station.

The redesign addresses deficiencies that forced the abort of the first crewed flight, which had been scheduled for 2024 and resulted in NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunny Williams returning to Earth aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon in early 2025. An official familiar with the program confirmed that the primary remaining hurdle is securing an available docking port on the station, making a launch later this year possible.

Ortberg noted that further delays could increase Boeing’s financial exposure under the fixed-price contract signed with NASA in 2014, which has already led to roughly $2 billion in charge-offs due to previous setbacks. If the cargo test flight succeeds and propulsion issues are fully resolved, a crewed mission could be slated for late 2027.

Industry observers note that Starliner’s return would occur as SpaceX’s Crew Dragon faces potential retirement by 2030, raising questions about future crew-transport capacity for both NASA and private stations. Unlike Dragon, Starliner’s service module is not reusable and would be discarded after each flight, adding to launch costs. Boeing has explored selling the vehicle but has not reached an agreement, and rival Blue Origin continues development of its own crew vehicle.