NASA Boosts Support for Troubled Boeing Space Capsule

NASA is stepping up its support for Boeing's Starliner astronaut capsule after a series of setbacks, including a botched test mission in 2024 that left two astronauts stranded at the International Space Station for nearly a year.

The space agency plans to launch a new and improved Starliner to the station by December with cargo but no crew on board. Astronauts will not strap in until 2028 due to the need for further safety redesigns, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced Monday.

NASA is committing an additional $359 million to fix the problems with Boeing's capsule, which includes new valves and seals. The upgrades and certifications are crucial as several private U.S. companies are working on their own orbital outposts that will need reliable taxi service.

NASA wants two U.S.-based means of getting astronauts to and from orbit, and Elon Musk's SpaceX has already become the first private business to send astronauts to orbit in 2020. However, NASA is keen to redeem Boeing's repeatedly bedeviled ride to ensure a backup system for future space missions.