NASA has revised its commercial crew contract with Boeing, changing the number of committed Starliner flights and shifting the program’s next mission to an uncrewed demonstration as certification work continues.
What Has Changed in the Boeing Commercial Crew Contract?
NASA said Monday that under the modified Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contract, it will order four Starliner flights to the International Space Station, with two additional flights retained as options. The original 2014 contract had envisioned up to six crewed rotations.
The Starliner-1 mission will now launch without astronauts on board and carry cargo to the station while validating propulsion system upgrades and other changes. NASA and Boeing are targeting no earlier than April 2026 for that flight, pending the completion of testing, certification activities and mission readiness reviews.
Why Was the Starliner Mission Plan Adjusted?
The June 2024 Starliner crew flight test revealed several propulsion anomalies, including multiple helium leaks in the service module and failures in reaction control thrusters during approach to the ISS. Follow-on ground work determined that a Teflon seal had expanded under heat, likely constricting propellant flow and contributing to the thruster issues.
As NASA and Boeing evaluated the findings, the vehicle’s return was delayed and ultimately completed without a crew on board while additional certification work began.
What Comes Next for Starliner?
Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, said the contract modification allows the program to focus on safely completing certification in 2026 and planning future missions based on station needs through 2030.
If Starliner-1 is successful and the spacecraft is certified, Boeing would then conduct up to three crewed flights under the revised order.
NASA emphasized that bringing Starliner to full operational status remains essential to its long-term strategy for maintaining a continuous human presence in low Earth orbit and preserving dissimilar redundancy in commercial crew access.
Currently, NASA is using SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft to transport astronauts to and from the ISS.
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