Brief

NASA and Boeing Outline New Starliner Missions After 2024 Mishap

NASA will exercise options for two new Starliner flights to the International Space Station and certify the Vulcan rocket for future crew transport.

By Felo News Desk · Published Tue, 29 Sep 2026 02:58:12 GMT

On Monday, NASA and Boeing released an update on the Starliner spacecraft, announcing plans for uncrewed and crewed missions to the International Space Station (ISS) after the 2024 test flight that left astronauts stranded for nine months. The agency will exercise options for a fifth and sixth flight to and from the ISS, and will work with Boeing and United Launch Alliance to certify the Vulcan rocket for use after the Atlas V’s final flight.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency is committed to having multiple crew transportation options and that the Starliner will return to flight in support of the ISS and future commercial destinations. He added that the first step will be an uncrewed Starliner‑1 mission to the ISS to validate improvements and gather flight data.

In a separate report, Gulf News noted that the 2024 Starliner test flight was deemed unfit to return the two astronauts, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, to Earth, classifying the mishap as a “Type A” incident. NASA blamed engineering vulnerabilities and has worked with Boeing to fix the issues for upcoming missions.

Key facts

NASA will exercise options for a fifth and sixth Starliner flight to the ISS (nasa.gov)
NASA will certify the Vulcan rocket for crew transport after Atlas V’s final flight (nasa.gov)
The first new mission will be an uncrewed Starliner‑1 flight to validate improvements (nasa.gov)
The 2024 Starliner test flight left two astronauts stranded for nine months (gulfnews.com)

Background

The 2024 Starliner flight, intended to transport astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, suffered propulsion problems that prevented a safe return, leaving the crew stranded in orbit for nine months. NASA has since focused on fixing the vehicle and certifying a new launch vehicle, the Vulcan, to replace the Atlas V for future missions.

Timeline

2024-06-01 — Starliner test flight leaves astronauts stranded
2026-09-18 — NASA turns to Boeing Starliner after Crew Dragon retirement
2026-09-28 — NASA and Boeing announce new Starliner missions

Why it matters

The new missions aim to restore confidence in NASA’s crew transport capabilities after the 2024 failure and to secure a reliable vehicle for future ISS operations and commercial spaceflight.

What happens next

NASA will conduct the uncrewed Starliner‑1 mission, gather data, and then proceed with crewed flights, while also certifying the Vulcan rocket for future launches.