NASA Unveils New Plan to Revive Troubled Starliner Spacecraft

NASA has unveiled a new plan for Boeing's troubled Starliner spacecraft, aiming to get it back on track for regular flights. The agency has indicated that the next flight will be uncrewed and take place no earlier than December.

The earliest Starliner could fly its next crew mission is mid-2028, officials said. However, some thrusters require a design modification before crewed operations resume.

NASA is also working with Boeing to certify the Vulcan Centaur rockets as a replacement for the Atlas rockets that have carried Starliner to space in the past.

The agency expects to pay an additional $359 million for Starliner's upgrades and Vulcan certification. This comes on top of the $4.82 billion already invested in the program, which is significantly less than what SpaceX has been awarded by NASA - $5.92 billion for a demo mission and 17 operational flights.