Starliner Spacecraft Grounded After Catastrophic Crewed Flight

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. The spacecraft was designed to carry astronauts to and from the International Space Station, but its crewed flight in 2024 ended in disaster when two astronauts were left stranded on the ISS for nine months due to technical issues.

The flight experienced helium leaks and thruster failures, forcing NASA to bring it back to Earth without astronauts. The agency decided to work on a new return plan while keeping the astronauts on board. They eventually returned to Earth on a SpaceX Crew Dragon in March 2025.

In February of this year, NASA classified the flight as a Type A Mishap, its highest designation for incidents that could have resulted in loss of life. The agency is still working to resolve the helium leaks and propulsion failures, which remain unresolved as of March 2026.