Key facts
- NASA is in talks with Boeing for two additional Starliner crewed missions.
- SpaceX plans to retire its Crew Dragon spacecraft by 2030.
- NASA has paid SpaceX $3.1 billion and Boeing $5.1 billion for commercial crew development.
- Starliner experienced significant thruster issues on its first crewed test flight in June 2024.
- NASA will fund Starliner propulsion system fixes and help certify a new launch vehicle.
- Potential new launch vehicles for Starliner include ULA's Vulcan and Blue Origin's New Glenn.
NASA is negotiating with Boeing for two additional crewed missions using the Starliner spacecraft, a move necessitated by SpaceX's stated intention to retire its Crew Dragon vehicle by 2030. This decision comes despite Starliner's troubled development history, including significant thruster issues during its first crewed test flight in June 2024, which NASA classified as a major mishap.
SpaceX, which has successfully flown 13 crewed missions to the International Space Station for NASA, is prioritizing its Starship program. SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell indicated that the company would not commit to extending Crew Dragon's service life indefinitely, suggesting Boeing should fulfill its role.
NASA has invested significantly in the Commercial Crew program, paying SpaceX approximately $3.1 billion and Boeing $5.1 billion. Boeing has incurred over $2 billion in charges due to Starliner's challenges. To ensure continued access to low-Earth orbit, NASA plans to fund fixes for Starliner's propulsion system and assist in certifying the spacecraft for new launch vehicles, as the current Atlas V rocket is nearing retirement. Potential replacements include United Launch Alliance's Vulcan and Blue Origin's New Glenn.