In a significant development for the U.S. space program, NASA and Boeing have agreed to modify the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contract for the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. This change, announced on November 24, 2025, comes after a series of technical challenges that have plagued the program, aiming to prioritize safety, certification, and alignment with the International Space Station’s (ISS) operational needs through 2030.
The original contract, awarded in 2014, envisioned up to six crewed missions to ferry astronauts to and from the ISS. However, persistent issues, particularly highlighted during the 2024 Crew Flight Test, have necessitated adjustments. That mission saw NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched aboard Starliner, only to encounter thruster malfunctions and helium leaks, extending their stay on the ISS to nine months. Ultimately, they returned via SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, underscoring Starliner’s reliability concerns.
Under the revised agreement, the definitive order has been reduced to four missions: one uncrewed cargo flight targeted for no earlier than April 2026, followed by up to three crewed rotations once the system is certified. The remaining two missions from the original six are now optional, providing flexibility based on future needs. This pivot transforms the next flight, dubbed Starliner-1, from a planned four-person astronaut mission to an uncrewed cargo delivery to validate recent propulsion system upgrades and other fixes.
Financially, the modification reduces the contract’s value from $4.5 billion to $3.732 billion, a cut of $768 million. NASA has already disbursed $2.2 billion, while Boeing has invested over $2 billion of its own funds into the fixed-price program since 2016. These overruns reflect the broader developmental hurdles Starliner has faced, including multiple delays that have allowed competitor SpaceX to dominate NASA’s astronaut transport since 2020.
Steve Stich, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager, emphasized the strategic intent behind the changes: “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.” Boeing has reaffirmed its commitment, highlighting ongoing safety-focused testing.
This contract adjustment underscores NASA’s push for “dissimilar redundancy” in crew transportation, ensuring multiple reliable options to maintain a sustained human presence in low Earth orbit. While it represents a setback for Boeing, it also paves the way for potential recovery if the uncrewed mission succeeds and certification follows. As the ISS era winds down toward 2030, these changes could influence the transition to future commercial space stations, where diversified providers remain important for NASA’s long-term goals.
Appendix: Comparison of Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Crew Dragon
The Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Crew Dragon are both spacecraft developed under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program to transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station. Below is a side-by-side comparison based on key aspects as of November 2025.
Development and Funding
- Starliner: Developed by Boeing with a NASA contract initially valued at around $4.6 billion (later adjusted). Development began in 2014, but faced significant delays due to technical issues, costing Boeing over $2 billion in additional self-funded investments.
- Crew Dragon: Developed by SpaceX with a NASA contract of approximately $2.6 billion. Also started in 2014, but achieved operational status faster, with lower overall costs to NASA.
Capacity and Design
- Starliner: Can carry up to seven astronauts or a mix of crew and cargo. It features a reusable capsule design with a trunk for additional cargo, and uses airbags for ground landings in the western United States.
- Crew Dragon: Also accommodates up to seven astronauts or crew/cargo mixes. It includes a trunk section for solar panels and cargo, and performs ocean splashdown landings with parachutes for recovery.
Launch and Propulsion
- Starliner: Launches atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. Its propulsion system has encountered issues like thruster failures and helium leaks during testing.
- Crew Dragon: Launches on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, which is partially reusable. The Draco thrusters have proven reliable across numerous missions.
Missions and Reliability
- Starliner: As of 2025, no fully successful crewed missions; the 2024 Crew Flight Test experienced anomalies, leading to an extended ISS stay for astronauts and return via Crew Dragon. An uncrewed test flight is planned for 2026 to certify the system.
- Crew Dragon: First crewed mission in 2020; has completed over a dozen crewed flights to the ISS by 2025, including private missions like Axiom Space trips. Demonstrated high reliability with capsule reuse up to five times or more.
Cost Efficiency and Reuse
- Starliner: Higher development costs (at least twice that of Crew Dragon per some estimates) and limited reuse demonstrated so far due to delays.
- Crew Dragon: More cost-effective, with reusable capsules and boosters reducing per-mission expenses. SpaceX’s approach has allowed for frequent flights and cost savings for NASA.
Strengths and Challenges
- Starliner: Offers “dissimilar redundancy” to Crew Dragon, providing NASA with diverse options. Ground landing could enable quicker crew recovery in some scenarios, but ongoing technical challenges have delayed certification.
- Crew Dragon: Superior track record in safe travel, reuse, and operational efficiency, making it NASA’s primary crew transport vehicle currently. Its company culture emphasizes rapid iteration and innovation.
Overall, while both capsules aim to achieve similar goals, Crew Dragon has outperformed Starliner in terms of timeline, cost, and mission success to date, though Starliner’s potential certification could balance the field in the future.
