Overview
- NASA and Boeing confirmed Starliner’s next flight won’t occur before early 2026 and will likely carry no crew as propulsion fixes are validated.
- Engineers at Boeing and Aerojet Rocketdyne are testing new insulation shunts and seal assemblies at NASA’s White Sands facility to prevent thruster overheating and helium leaks.
- Following five thruster failures and five helium leaks on its June 2024 crewed test, Starliner crews have been returned by SpaceX’s Dragon capsule for the Crew-10 and Crew-11 missions.
- The Starliner program has exceeded its original budget by over $2 billion and remains grounded at Kennedy Space Center while remediation efforts continue.
- With the ISS scheduled to retire in 2030, NASA faces a shrinking window to certify Starliner as a backup crew transport under its Commercial Crew Program.