All articles tagged with #starliner
Boeing says its Starliner is largely fixed after past issues and is coordinating with NASA to set a cargo launch to the ISS, which would pave the way for a potential late-2027 crewed test; a free docking port is needed, NASA has trimmed Starliner missions under a revised contract, and Boeing is weighing options including selling space-unit assets while awaiting port availability.
On Boeing’s earnings call, CEO Kelly Ortberg said Starliner’s propulsion deficiencies are being redesigned and are progressing well. The next mission is a cargo flight to the ISS, with the launch date dependent on NASA port availability; if this goes smoothly, a crewed Starliner mission could follow in late 2027, though Boeing has already booked roughly $2 billion in charges for delays and fixes. Starliner competes with SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, which is currently cheaper and more reliable, and future costs for human spaceflight in the 2030s are likely to rise.
A NASA Inspector General report ties Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner problems to overconfidence in heritage designs, rushed schedules, and limited access to flight-simulation data, warning that certification for ISS crew flights could slip further—Starliner-1 remains unscheduled amid staffing and data-access gaps.
A NASA Inspector General report questions whether Boeing's Starliner will ever receive human-rating certification, noting multiple test flights and a crewed mission were hampered by parachute issues, helium leaks, and propulsion failures, with unrealistic schedules and budget constraints cited as key obstacles as NASA and Boeing weigh next steps before the ISS is decommissioned in 2030.
A NASA inspector general audit warns Boeing’s Starliner will likely not be certified for regular crew flights to the ISS until 2027—roughly a decade after the 2017 target—due to unresolved issues from the 2024 Crew Flight Test (helium leaks, overheating thrusters, parachute anomalies) and scheduling delays. Starliner‑1’s launch timing remains unclear, and NASA will need additional SpaceX Crew Dragon flights to maintain ISS staffing through 2030, raising costs. The IG findings also note questionable payments to Boeing for Starliner‑3 and call for six recommendations to refresh and document the path to human-rating, with NASA and Boeing aiming to complete tasks by year‑end. The ISS retirement remains 2030, with potential extension to 2032.
NASA and Boeing have extended Starliner’s return-to-flight timeline by at least a year while they fix thruster malfunctions and helium leaks; a previous crewed mission in 2024 highlighted safety issues, and while progress is ongoing, no firm uncrewed launch date is set for Starliner-1, with NASA reducing Starliner missions and relying more on SpaceX as the ISS program heads toward 2030 retirement.
NASA safety advisers say Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner won’t fly again for up to a year as teams address propulsion faults, thruster heating, and other issues from the 2024 CFT; Starliner-1’s uncrewed mission has no fixed date, with NASA and Boeing working to close 72 CFT observations and 28 in-flight anomalies. The agencies remain committed to eventual crewed certification, but NASA also plans to add six SpaceX crew flights to cover ISS operations through 2030 due to Boeing delays.
NASA has Boeing's Starliner under review for future operations, potentially enabling a crewless launch to the ISS soon and contributing to a roughly 2% drop in BA shares. The Starliner program aims to be the second vehicle to reach the ISS before its 2030 retirement. Separately, Air Canada is refreshing its fleet’s cabins with 2029 service rollout. Analysts remain bullish on BA, with a Strong Buy consensus (15 Buys, 1 Hold) and an average target of $274.14, about 28% upside, after BA rose ~2.7% over the past year.
NASA plans to add six post-certification missions to SpaceX’s Commercial Crew Contract on a sole-source basis, ordering up to three of the missions when added, to ensure continued crew transport to the ISS as Boeing’s Starliner remains uncertified and schedule delays persist. The extension follows a 2022 modification that added five missions for $1.4 billion and would extend ISS operations through late 2030 with a cadence of about one mission every six months.
NASA is reshuffling its human spaceflight leadership after a critical Starliner report found serious issues in how Boeing’s first crewed Starliner flight was handled. Joel Montalbano will become acting associate administrator for the Space Operations Mission Directorate and Dana Hutcherson will be acting CCP program manager, taking over immediately, with Ken Bowersox retiring March 6 and Steve Stich remaining as an advisor to the Human Landing System. The Starliner Crew Flight Test experienced thruster problems and was reclassified as a Type A mishap, and NASA says leadership accountability is essential to maintain U.S. leadership in low Earth orbit and progress toward Artemis-era goals.
NASA released a 300-page investigation into Boeing’s Starliner mission, finding not only hardware faults but serious organizational and leadership problems—yelling, defensiveness and frayed team relations—that delayed returning two astronauts from the ISS for nine months; the mission was retroactively classified as a Type A mishap, NASA trimmed the contract and Boeing says it has fixes and organizational changes in place, while critics urge stronger oversight and a robust two-vehicle strategy.
NASA plans Artemis II to launch on March 6 after a fueling test cleared delays, sending four astronauts on a 10-day lunar flyby to test systems ahead of Artemis III’s 2028 lunar landing; the crew includes Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen. The article also covers a critical NASA inspector general report on Boeing’s Starliner, noting shortfalls and prompting NASA to withhold flying any crewed Starliner missions until technical issues are resolved.
NASA has reclassified Boeing’s Starliner Crew Flight Test as a Type A mishap—the agency’s most serious category—after thruster failures and a temporary loss of control threatened the mission, which nonetheless docked with the ISS. NASA officials stressed that different decisions could have led to a very different outcome and apologized for past classification biases. The investigation is ongoing, Starliner won’t carry astronauts again until thruster issues are resolved, and Boeing/NASA plan a future uncrewed cargo mission to the ISS no earlier than April 2026, with the ISS retirement slated for 2030 and a push for redundant commercial crew options.
NASA formally classifies the 2024 Boeing Starliner crewed flight as a Type A mishap and releases a 311-page investigation finding leadership and decision-making failures in addition to hardware issues, prompting accountability measures and a path forward that includes an uncrewed Starliner mission in 2026 and NASA astronauts training for a potential Starliner-1 crew.
NASA released the final Program Investigation Team report on Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner crewed test, finding a mix of hardware failures, qualification gaps, leadership missteps and cultural breakdowns that created risk. The mission is classified as a Type A mishap, and NASA will pursue corrective actions with Boeing before Starliner is cleared to fly again.