NASA Bails Out Troubled Boeing Capsule with $359M Lifeline

NASA is throwing extra support and money behind Boeing's troubled astronaut capsule to get it fixed and flying again as soon as possible.

The Starliner capsule had many problems in 2024, including a botched mission that stranded two test pilots at the International Space Station for nearly a year. NASA reclassified the incident as a 'Type A mishap,' its most severe ranking.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced Monday that Boeing should be ready to launch a new and improved Starliner to the space station by December, but with no crew on board. Astronauts will not strap in until 2028 due to ongoing safety redesigns that could take months or years to complete.

NASA Manager Dana Weigel stressed that everyone must be confident that all of Starliner's problems have been resolved before putting astronauts back on board. This includes new valves and seals, among other fixes, which will cost NASA an additional $359 million.