NASA has announced plans to utilize Boeing's Starliner spacecraft in future missions to the International Space Station (ISS) as SpaceX intends to phase out its Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule. SpaceX's Falcon 9 has conducted roughly 700 launches since its debut 16 years ago and will stop accepting orders for launches after 2028, with plans to cease ISS flights by 2030 as it shifts focus to its next-generation vehicle, Starship.
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NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman confirmed that Boeing's Starliner will play a critical role in filling the operational gap left by SpaceX. Despite encountering significant challenges—including failed missions and technical issues during previous test flights—NASA is moving forward with its plans for the Starliner. Following a series of failures with the Starliner spacecraft, which included stuck valves and thruster failures, NASA had previously used SpaceX's Crew Dragon to rescue astronauts stranded on the ISS.
To support this transition, NASA is set to contract Boeing for at least five more flights of the Starliner, with the possibility of up to seven. The first mission, an uncrewed flight dubbed "Starliner 1," is scheduled for late 2026 or early 2027, followed by an 18-month hiatus before the crewed "Starliner 2" mission in mid-2028.
Boeing's Commercial Crew program manager John Mulholland expressed enthusiasm about the new contract, which comes as NASA commits an additional $359 million to assist with the necessary upgrades and problem-solving for the Starliner. With this funding, Boeing's total payments for the Starliner program will amount to $5.5 billion, despite not yet having completed a successful flight.
This financial injection may help Boeing recover from losses associated with the troubled Starliner program and could secure its position in future space operations. As NASA prepares for the eventual retirement of SpaceX's current vehicles, the agency's selection of Starliner may prove critical in maintaining crewed access to low Earth orbit.