NASA and Boeing Plan Starliner's Return to Flight After 2024 Setback
NASA and Boeing are preparing for the next phase of the Starliner program, despite previous setbacks. The next mission, an uncrewed cargo flight to the International Space Station (ISS), is planned for either December 2026 or January 2027. This flight, known as Starliner-1, aims to validate improvements made to the spacecraft following its troubled 2024 mission.
The last Starliner mission ended in near-disaster, with astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams stranded on the ISS for months longer than planned. The spacecraft returned to Earth empty, and the crew eventually returned home aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule in March 2025. Both astronauts have since retired from NASA.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman emphasized the agency's commitment to the Starliner program, stating that they have worked closely with Boeing to address previous issues. The goal is to certify Starliner as the second operational vehicle capable of reaching the ISS before its retirement by 2030. SpaceX's Dragon capsule has already been making routine trips to the ISS under NASA's commercial crew program.
The next crewed Starliner mission, Starliner-2, is targeted for no earlier than 2028. Additionally, future Starliner missions will launch on ULA's Vulcan rocket, which is currently undergoing certification. The Vulcan rocket is designed to be a versatile launch vehicle for various missions.