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NASA and Boeing Advance Starliner Testing as Major Propulsion Issues Persist

Extensive propulsion system tests are planned for spring and summer 2025, with the next Starliner flight unlikely before late 2025 or early 2026.

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Boeing's Starliner spacecraft aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket rolls toward the launch pad, in preparation for the launch of Boeing's Starliner-1 Crew Flight Test (CFT), in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S. May 4, 2024. REUTERS/Steve Nesius/File Photo
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Overview

  • NASA and Boeing are working to address unresolved propulsion anomalies from Starliner’s first crewed flight in June 2024, including thruster failures and helium leaks.
  • Approximately 70% of issues identified during the first crewed mission have been resolved, but critical propulsion challenges remain under investigation.
  • Testing at White Sands Test Facility this spring and summer will include integrated thruster firings and upgrades to thermal barriers to prevent overheating.
  • The next Starliner mission, described as a 'crew capable post-certification mission,' could carry either crew or cargo, depending on NASA’s operational needs.
  • Boeing has incurred over $2 billion in losses on the Starliner program but remains committed to certifying the spacecraft as a backup to SpaceX’s Crew Dragon.