Boeing's Starliner Delayed Until 2028 Amid Testing and Certification Delays

NASA has announced that Boeing's Starliner spacecraft will not carry astronauts again until 2028. This is due to the need for further testing and certification of the spacecraft, as well as the development of a new rocket.

The agency plans to use the Vulcan rocket from United Launch Alliance (ULA) to launch the Starliner spacecraft once the current Atlas V rocket is retired. The first uncrewed test flight of the Starliner-1 mission could take place in December 2026 or January 2027.

NASA's Program Investigation Team found that the service module reaction control thrusters had operated outside their engineering qualification during the 2024 crewed mission, causing a loss of control. Boeing has made thermal modifications to the service module and is working on a redesign of the thruster valve to address these issues.

NASA plans to exercise contract options for two additional Starliner flights to and from the International Space Station in addition to the already planned five and six missions.