On Sept. 18, 2026, The Wall Street Journal reported NASA was discussing 10 or more future low-Earth-orbit missions for Boeing’s Starliner; no expanded contract has been finalized. Starliner has not flown since returning without its crew in September 2024.
During the 2024 crewed test, five maneuvering thrusters failed as Starliner approached the International Space Station. NASA returned it without its astronauts, saying SpaceX offered a safer route home, and later classified the flight as a Type A mishap. Its investigation cited poor decision-making, communication breakdowns and an unhealthy relationship between NASA and Boeing teams. Boeing said it remains committed to NASA’s commercial crew efforts and looks forward to the next mission under NASA’s requirements.
NASA originally selected Starliner for up to six operational missions, then reduced that commitment to four. Boeing has recorded roughly $2 billion in program charges since 2016, while NASA reduced the existing contract’s total value to about $3.7 billion. Under its fixed-price structure, Boeing absorbs much of the cost of delays, repairs and retesting, so additional missions would not necessarily make the program profitable.
