NASA Hasn’t Given Up on Boeing Starliner: Here’s What’s Next

NASA is giving Boeing’s troubled Starliner spacecraft another chance. After major technical problems during its first crewed flight, the agency and Boeing are continuing work to return Starliner to human spaceflight—and the next major test could come as soon as December 2026 or January 2027.

Starliner’s Difficult Road Back to Space

Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner faced serious problems during its 2024 Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station (ISS). Propulsion-system issues raised safety concerns, and NASA ultimately decided that astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams should return to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon rather than Starliner.

NASA’s investigation later identified a combination of hardware problems, qualification gaps and organizational issues that contributed to the risks during the mission.

Despite those setbacks, NASA says Starliner remains an important part of its strategy for maintaining more than one U.S. system capable of transporting astronauts to low Earth orbit.

The Next Step: Starliner-1

The immediate goal is Starliner-1, an uncrewed mission to the International Space Station.

NASA and Boeing currently expect this flight to launch in the December 2026/January 2027 timeframe. Instead of astronauts, the spacecraft will carry cargo and serve as an engineering test of the improvements made after the 2024 mission.

This flight will be extremely important because NASA wants to collect real-world data before putting astronauts back aboard the spacecraft.

What Is Boeing Changing?

NASA and Boeing have made several modifications to Starliner, particularly around its propulsion system.

The changes include redesigned service-module thruster components, modifications intended to improve thermal performance, upgraded crew-module thrusters, new batteries and improvements to the parachute system. NASA and Boeing are also working on additional thruster valve modifications before future crewed missions.

The objective is simple: prove that Starliner can operate safely and reliably before astronauts return.

When Will Astronauts Fly Starliner Again?

If Starliner-1 performs successfully and NASA completes the required certification work, the next step will be Starliner-2, a crewed mission currently planned for 2028.

NASA has said the mission will help restore Starliner as a regular U.S. crew transportation option for the International Space Station and potentially future commercial destinations.

NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg has been identified as the commander of the planned Starliner-2 mission.

NASA Is Also Expanding Starliner’s Future Role

NASA's latest agreement with Boeing goes beyond simply fixing the spacecraft.

The agency intends to restore options for a fifth and sixth Starliner flight and is also working with Boeing and United Launch Alliance to certify the Vulcan rocket for future crewed Starliner missions after the Atlas V fleet is phased out.

That means NASA is still thinking about Starliner as a long-term transportation system rather than a one-time rescue project.

Why Starliner Still Matters

SpaceX's Crew Dragon currently provides NASA with a proven U.S. crew transportation capability. But NASA has long wanted multiple independent commercial crew providers.

Having Boeing and SpaceX available gives NASA additional flexibility and redundancy for missions to low Earth orbit.

For that reason, NASA appears willing to give Starliner the time and testing needed to address its problems rather than abandoning the program altogether.

What Happens Next?

The timeline is now relatively clear:

December 2026/January 2027: Uncrewed Starliner-1 mission to the ISS.

After Starliner-1: NASA and Boeing will analyze flight data and complete remaining certification work.

2028: Targeted return of astronauts aboard Starliner-2.

Beyond 2028: NASA intends to use Starliner for additional crew transportation missions, assuming the spacecraft completes certification successfully.

Final Thoughts

Boeing Starliner has had one of the most difficult development journeys in NASA's Commercial Crew Program. But NASA has made it clear that the program is not over.

The next uncrewed flight will be the biggest test yet of whether Boeing's fixes actually work. If Starliner-1 succeeds, it could put the spacecraft back on a path toward carrying astronauts in 2028.

For Boeing, NASA and the future of U.S. human spaceflight, Starliner-1 could be the mission that determines whether Starliner finally turns a troubled development story into a working transportation system.