NASA delays Boeing Starliner’s first operational crewed mission until 2028

Wednesday 30 September 2026 - 23:30

By: Azzat Manal

NASA delays Boeing Starliner’s first operational crewed mission until 2028

NASA and Boeing have pushed back the first operational crewed mission of the Starliner spacecraft to 2028 as engineers continue to address technical issues and implement safety improvements following the capsule’s troubled 2024 crewed test flight. The decision was announced as the US space agency outlined a revised plan for returning Starliner to regular service.

Under the updated schedule, Starliner-1 will first fly without astronauts to the International Space Station. NASA said the mission could launch as early as December 2026 or January 2027 and will be used to validate modifications to the spacecraft and collect additional flight data before astronauts are placed aboard again.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency would use the uncrewed mission to assess the improvements and complete corrective actions identified during its investigation of the previous flight. The results will then inform the testing and certification process required before Starliner can return to human spaceflight.

The first crewed mission under the new plan, known as Starliner-2, is targeted for 2028. NASA has identified astronaut Woody Hoburg as the mission commander, while Boeing has indicated that the spacecraft is expected to be ready around the middle of that year, subject to the necessary testing and certification work.

The new timetable follows the spacecraft’s first crewed test in June 2024, when NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams traveled to the International Space Station aboard Starliner. The mission was initially expected to last a little over a week but was extended after engineers identified problems involving the spacecraft’s propulsion system.

After reviewing the available flight data and conducting additional ground tests, NASA decided that Starliner should return to Earth without its crew. The spacecraft landed in New Mexico in September 2024, while Wilmore and Williams eventually returned to Earth aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon in March 2025.

Since then, NASA and Boeing have been working on modifications intended to improve Starliner’s reliability and support its eventual certification for routine crew missions. NASA said Boeing has introduced thermal changes to the spacecraft’s service module and plans an additional modification to the thruster valve design. Other improvements include new crew-module thrusters, batteries and adjustments to the parachute system.

The agency also plans to work with Boeing and United Launch Alliance to certify the Vulcan rocket for future crewed Starliner missions. The spacecraft previously relied on the Atlas V, but NASA is preparing for the transition as the Atlas V approaches the end of its operational life.

NASA has also decided to exercise options for additional Starliner missions to the International Space Station, potentially bringing the number of planned crew flights under the current arrangement to six. The move reflects NASA’s broader objective of maintaining more than one US system capable of transporting astronauts to low Earth orbit.

The Starliner program remains an important component of NASA’s Commercial Crew strategy, which was designed to establish independent US transportation systems for astronauts and reduce reliance on a single spacecraft. SpaceX’s Crew Dragon currently provides regular crew transportation to the station, while NASA continues efforts to complete Starliner’s certification.

The delay to 2028 gives NASA and Boeing additional time to verify the spacecraft’s propulsion, thermal and other systems before returning astronauts to Starliner. The upcoming uncrewed flight will therefore be a key step in determining whether the latest modifications perform as expected and whether the vehicle can progress toward regular crew operations.