A year after Boeing's CST-100 Starliner's flawed crewed test flight, NASA is still deciding on the spacecraft's next mission. Mixed signals about the vehicle's future have emerged, raising questions about its role in space exploration.
NASA announced on June 6 that it's evaluating options for Starliner's next flight, expected no earlier than early 2026. The agency is considering whether the next mission will be crewed or uncrewed, pending system certification and resolution of technical issues.
This announcement follows the Starliner's docking with the International Space Station (ISS) on the Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission. The docking was successful despite thruster failures that initially threatened a safe docking. These issues, along with helium leaks, led to the decision to return Starliner uncrewed, delaying the return of astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore.
NASA's commercial crew program manager, Steve Stich, indicated that a test flight, with or without astronauts, is planned to test Starliner modifications. This would be followed by the first crew rotation mission, Starliner-1. The timing is uncertain, with reviews of thruster problems expected to continue through the summer.
In April, the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel noted that NASA hadn't decided if the next Starliner mission would be crewed. The decision will likely depend on thruster testing results. NASA astronauts are training for a post-certification mission, but a full Starliner-1 crew hasn't been assigned yet.
NASA relies on SpaceX for crew transportation but wants two commercial crew vehicles for redundancy. Budget constraints could affect Starliner's future, with the 2026 budget proposal cutting ISS operating and transportation budgets. This could impact NASA's ability to maintain two crew transportation providers.
Boeing has remained relatively quiet about Starliner's plans, amid rumors of the company potentially exiting the program after significant financial losses. Boeing executives have been reserved since the CFT mission's end. The future of Starliner and other Boeing space programs hinges on budget decisions in Congress.
Kelly Ortberg, Boeing's chief executive, suggested that Starliner's challenges have overshadowed the company's space portfolio. The future of Starliner and other Boeing space programs will depend on the outcome of budget debates in Congress in the months to come.