Boeing Starliner Returns to NASA Spaceflight Plans
▼ Summary
– NASA plans to order two additional crewed missions for Boeing’s Starliner to ensure continued access to low-Earth orbit.
– The agency will also fund fixes for Starliner’s thruster issues and support certification for its launch on a new rocket.
– These moves are driven by SpaceX’s indication that it intends to retire the Crew Dragon spacecraft by 2030 or earlier.
– SpaceX is shifting focus toward its larger Starship rocket and commercial ventures like Starlink satellites and data centers.
– SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell declined to commit to extending Crew Dragon flights, suggesting Boeing should utilize its developed capsule.
NASA is actively restructuring its human spaceflight strategy to mitigate the risk of relying solely on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft. With indications mounting that SpaceX plans to retire its current crew vehicle by 2030, the space agency is doubling down on Boeing’s Starliner program. This pivot aims to ensure a robust commercial crew capability even after the Atlas V rocket, which currently launches Starliner, is retired.
Sources confirm that NASA will soon announce orders for two additional crewed missions from Boeing. Beyond these flight contracts, the agency will contribute funding to resolve persistent technical issues with Starliner’s thrusters and provide critical support to certify the spacecraft for launch on a new rocket system. These moves are designed to secure a reliable return-to-Earth capability and maintain routine astronaut transport to low-Earth orbit as the industry landscape shifts.
The urgency behind this decision stems from recent discussions between NASA officials and SpaceX regarding the future of the Crew Dragon program. While Dragon remains the only operational spacecraft for regular crew rotations today, SpaceX leadership has made it clear they intend to wind down operations sooner rather than later. The company is shifting focus toward its massive Starship rocket, which is central to launching more profitable ventures such as expanded Starlink satellite networks and emerging orbital data center infrastructure.
Despite public signals of this transition, SpaceX has been hesitant to commit to extended service with Crew Dragon when pressed publicly. During an appearance on the All-In Podcast, Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer, was asked if the company would continue flying Dragon in response to demand.
Shotwell would not commit to that. “We’re not retiring it today, for sure,” she replied. Then Shotwell suggested that Boeing should really step up and deliver. “There is another provider,” she said. “Boeing has been paid, I think, probably more than we have been paid to develop their human capsule. So we’re just gonna let them have some business. They should fly their capsule. The government paid a lot of money for that.”
(Source: Ars Technica)
