Boeing Starliner Won’t Launch Astronauts Until 2028 NASA Says

NASA announced that Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft will not launch astronauts until 2028, following a series of technical hurdles. An uncrewed test flight is scheduled for December or January. The delay prompts NASA to award SpaceX three additional crew transportation flights under a $946 million contract modification to maintain continuous station access.

Technical Adjustments and the 2028 Launch Horizon

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft will remain grounded for human spaceflight until 2028, NASA announced during a comprehensive program update. Before crewed operations resume, the vehicle is slated to conduct an uncrewed test flight to the International Space Station this coming December or January.

The extended grounding follows persistent developmental hurdles, most notably during the Crew Flight Test in June 2024. That mission carried NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams—whose planned 10-day stay extended into a multi-month stay due to helium leaks and the failure of five reaction control system thrusters. Although Starliner docked safely, NASA ultimately decided to return the capsule uncrewed in September 2024. The two astronauts remained aboard the orbital laboratory for six months before returning home aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule in March 2025. In February, NASA classified that initial crewed journey as a “Type A mishap,” representing the agency’s highest designation for potential loss-of-life incidents.

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During a news conference at 3 p.m. EDT on Monday, Sept. 28, NASA and Boeing leadership discussed Starliner’s development and plans for regular crew flights to and from the International Space Station. Speaking on Monday, NASA chief Jared Isaacman stated that components of Boeing’s Starliner vehicle will undergo redesign before a 2028 crewed launch, further noting during the briefing that Starliner is contracted to carry out as many as five crewed flights to the International Space Station on behalf of NASA. The briefing participants included NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, Dana Weigel, manager of NASA’s Low Earth Orbit Program, Woody Hoburg, NASA astronaut, and John Mulholland, vice president and program manager for Boeing Commercial Crew.

Photo: reuters.com

Valve Redesigns and Engineering Fixes for Starliner-1

Dana Weigel, the space station program manager at NASA, noted that Boeing has already integrated corrective solutions onto Starliner-1 following the identification of the root cause behind the vehicle’s helium leaks.

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That is why the material of the seal was changed. We also realized we needed to select seals that were on the larger side of the tolerance spectrum. Boeing has implemented all of those changes on the Starliner-1 spacecraft already. – Dana Weigel, manager, NASA’s Low Earth Orbit Program

Contractual Shifts and Expanding SpaceX Operations

To secure uninterrupted orbital transit up to 2030 amidst ongoing technical setbacks and developmental delays in Boeing’s Starliner initiative, NASA has issued a $946 million contract modification granting SpaceX three extra flights to transport crews to the International Space Station. Formalizing the update as a firm fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract arrangement, the space agency expanded SpaceX’s cumulative assignment under the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability agreement to a total of 17 missions. The $946 million financial commitment specifically encompasses the Crew-15, Crew-16, and Crew-17 expeditions, according to NASA, alongside provisions for ground operations, launch protocols, in-orbit support, return and recovery services, cargo transportation, and an active lifeboat capability while docked to the space station. Execution for this newest modification extends through 2030, with designated readiness dates spread across 2027 and 2028. This pushes the cumulative value of SpaceX’s CCtCap contract history with NASA to $5.92 billion. Aiming to secure permanent, backup access to low-Earth orbit, NASA’s initial 2014 public-private partnership framework for the Commercial Crew Program purposely enlisted two distinct contractors: Boeing and SpaceX. Having secured its crew transportation certification back in November 2020, SpaceX is presently conducting its twelfth crew rotation mission, with the Crew-12 capsule currently linked to the orbital laboratory.

Photo: Space

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NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg is expected to command Starliner’s next crewed mission.