A newly released NASA audit places Boeing's Starliner under intensified scrutiny, questioning when the spacecraft will be ready to carry astronauts again. The review warns that the agency may need to procure additional crew flights to the International Space Station before the station's planned retirement in 2030.
The audit focuses on persistent technical and schedule challenges that have delayed Starliner's certification for operational missions. Boeing's spacecraft has faced a series of setbacks, including software issues and propulsion problems during its uncrewed test flights. The report underscores the gap between Starliner's current readiness and NASA's requirements for routine crew rotations.
Since Starliner's first uncrewed test flight in 2019 fell short of its objectives, the program has missed multiple milestones. A second uncrewed flight in 2022 achieved its primary goals but revealed new anomalies that required remediation. The audit did not specify a new target date for the first crewed mission, leaving the timeline uncertain.
If Starliner cannot enter service soon, NASA may have to rely more heavily on SpaceX's Crew Dragon for astronaut transport through 2030. The audit suggests that a gap in certified U.S. crew vehicles could force the agency to purchase seats from international partners or extend Starliner's development schedule.
Crew Dragon currently serves as NASA's sole operational crew vehicle, having flown multiple missions since 2020. The audit's findings raise the stakes for Boeing, which has incurred significant cost overruns on the Starliner program under a fixed-price contract with the space agency.