NASA, Boeing to discuss what's next for Starliner
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft that launched NASA’s Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station. (Credit: NASA)
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - NASA and Boeing will provide an update Monday on the future of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.
The news briefing is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.
NASA administrator Jared Isaacman, NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg, NASA's Low Earth Orbit Program manager Dana Weigel and Boeing Commercial Crew vice president and program manager John Mulholland will participate in the briefing.
The briefing comes nearly two years after the spacecraft's crewed flight in 2024 left two astronauts stranded on the International Space Station for 9 months.
Starliner 1st crewed flight experiences technical issues
Starliner's last mission launched in June 2024.
While on its way to the ISS, the spacecraft experienced helium leaks and thruster failures.
Due to safety concerns, NASA decided to bring Starliner back to Earth without astronauts while working on a different return plan.
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams spent more than 9 months on the space station—much longer than the planned eight-day stay—before returning to Earth on a SpaceX Crew Dragon in March 2025.
Starliner astronauts heading back to Earth
NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are preparing to return home with Crew-9 after spending an unexpected, nine-month stay in space.
In February of this year, NASA classified the flight as a Type A Mishap, the agency's highest designation for incidents that could have resulted in loss of life.
When will Boeing send astronauts to the ISS again?
It's unclear when Boeing will be ready to send more astronauts to the space station.
In an audit released in June, NASA said it could not provide a timeline for certifying the spacecraft to carry astronauts again.
The report also said that helium leaks and propulsion failures remained unresolved as of March 2026.
According to the audit, NASA will also need to purchase more flights from SpaceX or Boeing to "continue to fully crew the ISS through 2030."
SpaceX has been sending astronauts to the ISS since 2020. Boeing, however, has only completed one crewed flight.
Starline's next mission is expected to be an uncrewed cargo flight, but a launch date has not been announced yet.
The Source: This article was written based on information released by NASA and from previous FOX 35 reporting.