Boeing's Starliner Returns to Space in December 2026 with Uncrewed Mission

After a two-year hiatus, NASA's Boeing Starliner spacecraft is set to return to space in December 2026 or January 2027. The mission, called Starliner-1, will be an uncrewed flight that delivers cargo to the International Space Station.

The flight comes after a series of issues with the spacecraft's helium leaks and thruster failures during its previous mission in 2024. NASA has been working with Boeing to address these concerns and make necessary changes.

One major change is the replacement of the valves on all 12 crew module reaction control system thrusters, which will be done for future missions. Additionally, Boeing will replace the older crew module thrusters and batteries with new ones.

The next crewed mission, Starliner-2, is currently targeted to launch in 2028. However, this timeline may change depending on how well the issues are resolved after the uncrewed flight.