NASA pares back Boeing's Starliner deal after 2024 calamity
(2025/11/25)
- Reference: 1764078259
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/11/25/nasa_starliner_contract/
- Source link:
NASA has modified its Commercial Crew contract with Boeing, dropping the order from six to four missions, of which one will be uncrewed.
The uncrewed mission, Starliner-1, will be used for in-flight validation of the upgrades made to Boeing's Calamity Capsule following the disastrous test flight in 2024 that left the crew, Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, with an [1]unexpectedly long stint aboard the International Space Station (ISS). NASA engineers had [2]deemed the vehicle unsafe to return the astronauts to Earth.
Starliner-1 will not launch before April 2026. Assuming all goes well, the capsule will fly up to three crew rotations to the ISS. Managers hope to squeeze one of those missions into next year.
[3]
The original contract was [4]awarded in 2014 . At least two and up to six crewed missions were initially offered. Boeing's price was $4.2 billion. The other successful bidder, SpaceX, came in at $2.6 billion.
[5]
[6]
At the time, the goal was to [7]end US reliance on Russia in 2017 . Only a few years had passed since the Space Shuttles were retired.
SpaceX conducted its first crewed demonstration flight in 2020 and has since reliably ferried astronauts to and from the ISS. Boeing has fared less well, finally getting a crewed test flight launched in 2024, only to have to return the capsule uncrewed.
[8]Boeing's Starliner may fly again, pending fixes to literally everything
[9]Boeing's Starliner future uncertain as NASA weighs next steps
[10]SpaceX Crew Dragons swapped so ISS crew can go home early
[11]Boeing, Boeing, burned: Over half a billion dollars by Starliner in 2024
It is more than a year since the uncrewed return of the Calamity Capsule, during which time speculation increased over the fate of Boeing's Starliner program. The ISS has only a few years of life left before it is due to be deorbited, making the move to four Boeing flights inevitable. A bigger question was whether the company must repeat the crewed flight test before the vehicle is certified for use.
The answer is that the next flight will use the capsule for cargo rather than crew and will validate the upgrades made since the previous test flight. Three flights will remain in the contract, although NASA will have the option to add two more.
[12]
Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, [13]said : "NASA and Boeing are continuing to rigorously test the Starliner propulsion system in preparation for two potential flights next year.
"This modification allows NASA and Boeing to focus on safely certifying the system in 2026, execute Starliner's first crew rotation when ready, and align our ongoing flight planning for future Starliner missions based on station's operational needs through 2030." ®
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[1] https://www.theregister.com/2024/08/07/nasa_spacex_starliner_boeing/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2024/08/25/nasa_spacex_starliner/
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aSXgqfXfVVPzBb30tLw3AQAAAJQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-chooses-american-companies-to-transport-u-s-astronauts-to-international-space-station/
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aSXgqfXfVVPzBb30tLw3AQAAAJQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aSXgqfXfVVPzBb30tLw3AQAAAJQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2014/09/16/screw_you_russia_nasa_appoints_boeing_and_spacex_as_space_station_ferrymen/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/28/boeing_starliner_fixes/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/20/boeing_starliner_whats_next/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/12/spacex_crew_dragons_swapped_for/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/05/starliner_boeing_losses/
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aSXgqfXfVVPzBb30tLw3AQAAAJQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/commercialcrew/2025/11/24/nasa-boeing-modify-commercial-crew-contract/
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
The uncrewed mission, Starliner-1, will be used for in-flight validation of the upgrades made to Boeing's Calamity Capsule following the disastrous test flight in 2024 that left the crew, Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, with an [1]unexpectedly long stint aboard the International Space Station (ISS). NASA engineers had [2]deemed the vehicle unsafe to return the astronauts to Earth.
Starliner-1 will not launch before April 2026. Assuming all goes well, the capsule will fly up to three crew rotations to the ISS. Managers hope to squeeze one of those missions into next year.
[3]
The original contract was [4]awarded in 2014 . At least two and up to six crewed missions were initially offered. Boeing's price was $4.2 billion. The other successful bidder, SpaceX, came in at $2.6 billion.
[5]
[6]
At the time, the goal was to [7]end US reliance on Russia in 2017 . Only a few years had passed since the Space Shuttles were retired.
SpaceX conducted its first crewed demonstration flight in 2020 and has since reliably ferried astronauts to and from the ISS. Boeing has fared less well, finally getting a crewed test flight launched in 2024, only to have to return the capsule uncrewed.
[8]Boeing's Starliner may fly again, pending fixes to literally everything
[9]Boeing's Starliner future uncertain as NASA weighs next steps
[10]SpaceX Crew Dragons swapped so ISS crew can go home early
[11]Boeing, Boeing, burned: Over half a billion dollars by Starliner in 2024
It is more than a year since the uncrewed return of the Calamity Capsule, during which time speculation increased over the fate of Boeing's Starliner program. The ISS has only a few years of life left before it is due to be deorbited, making the move to four Boeing flights inevitable. A bigger question was whether the company must repeat the crewed flight test before the vehicle is certified for use.
The answer is that the next flight will use the capsule for cargo rather than crew and will validate the upgrades made since the previous test flight. Three flights will remain in the contract, although NASA will have the option to add two more.
[12]
Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, [13]said : "NASA and Boeing are continuing to rigorously test the Starliner propulsion system in preparation for two potential flights next year.
"This modification allows NASA and Boeing to focus on safely certifying the system in 2026, execute Starliner's first crew rotation when ready, and align our ongoing flight planning for future Starliner missions based on station's operational needs through 2030." ®
Get our [14]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2024/08/07/nasa_spacex_starliner_boeing/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2024/08/25/nasa_spacex_starliner/
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aSXgqfXfVVPzBb30tLw3AQAAAJQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-chooses-american-companies-to-transport-u-s-astronauts-to-international-space-station/
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aSXgqfXfVVPzBb30tLw3AQAAAJQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aSXgqfXfVVPzBb30tLw3AQAAAJQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2014/09/16/screw_you_russia_nasa_appoints_boeing_and_spacex_as_space_station_ferrymen/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/28/boeing_starliner_fixes/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/20/boeing_starliner_whats_next/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/12/spacex_crew_dragons_swapped_for/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/05/starliner_boeing_losses/
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aSXgqfXfVVPzBb30tLw3AQAAAJQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/commercialcrew/2025/11/24/nasa-boeing-modify-commercial-crew-contract/
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: MIssion Accomplished
GenuineArticle
By happy chance, multiple providers also spread cash amongst more congressional districts!
Re: MIssion Accomplished
gecho
Except the human rated rocket that Starliner is designed to launch on is no longer in production. Boeing bought just enough Atlas V to cover the contract. Vulcan could be human rated but ULA is waiting for someone to cut them a check to pay for it.
Re: MIssion Accomplished
Flocke Kroes
But the US has almost 3 crew vehicles:
1: Dragon / Falcon 9
0.9: Starliner(perhaps now with thrusters that will not overheat) / Atlas V (buy now before stocks run out)
0.6: Orion (Heat shield? Life support? Docking hatch is an optional extra for Artemis III+) / SLS (Limited edition, nearly two in stock. Beyond that: ?)
0.3: Dream Chaser (Cargo version available RSN. Crew version promised) / Atlas V Ariane V ... Vulcan?
0.1: Blue Origin Crew Vehicle (Offered NASA funding but Blue chose Bank of Bezos instead. No announcements for years) / New Glenn?
You can start to understand
JimmyPage
How later generations looked at the pyramids and could only conclude they were built by aliens.
MIssion Accomplished
The point of having two independent designs,
is if one design fails,
you can fall back on the other.
Mission Accomplished.