NASA to Order More Starliner Missions, Certify New Rocket

Starliner missions are about to get a lot more crowded on NASA's manifest. As early as next week, the space agency will announce it is ordering two additional crewed flights from Boeing, paying part of the bill to fix the spacecraft's thruster problems, and helping certify a new rocket to carry it after its current launcher retires. The moves, confirmed by multiple sources, mark a striking reversal for a vehicle that spent the past two years as the cautionary tale of American human spaceflight.

Why NASA Is Betting on Boeing Again

The answer sits with SpaceX. The company has told NASA in recent months that it intends to retire Crew Dragon by 2030, perhaps sooner, and Dragon is currently the only operational spacecraft NASA has for routine astronaut trips to low-Earth orbit, so losing it without a replacement would leave the agency with no way to reach orbit. SpaceX has begun confirming that plan publicly. It's a remarkable stance. The vehicle first flew humans just six years ago. And the company wants to pivot toward Starship, which it intends to use for Starlink launches and a new megaconstellation aimed at orbital data centers, a shift they're now confirming in public even though they don't yet have a certified replacement flying astronauts for NASA.

On the All-In Podcast this week, SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell was asked whether the company would keep flying Crew Dragon to meet demand. She would not commit. "We're not retiring it today, for sure," she said. Then she pointed at Boeing. "There is another provider," Shotwell 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."

The Money Behind the Capsules

The numbers back her up. Since 2010, NASA has paid SpaceX roughly $3.1 billion and Boeing $5.1 billion for development and certification of their crew vehicles. SpaceX has delivered on that investment, launching 13 crewed missions to the International Space Station for NASA, with the next one set for October. Every flight so far has succeeded.

Boeing's road has been rougher. Starliner stumbled through uncrewed test flights in 2019 and 2022. Then came June 2024, when thruster problems nearly caused the catastrophic loss of two astronauts during the spacecraft's first crew test flight. NASA formally classified that flight as a "Type A" mishap in February. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams had to come home on a Crew Dragon instead. A 311-page investigative report followed, detailing mistakes by both Boeing and NASA. New NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman spread the blame beyond hardware. "Starliner has design and engineering deficiencies that must be corrected, but the most troubling failure revealed by this investigation is not hardware," he wrote to the NASA workforce. "It is decision-making and leadership that, if left unchecked, could create a culture incompatible with human spaceflight."

The Rocket Problem Nobody Talks About

Starliner's launcher is running out of time. The Atlas V, built by United Launch Alliance, uses Russian engines and is near retirement, which means that this rocket, once a workhorse for American spaceflight, now sits just a handful of missions away from being grounded forever. Six rockets remain. One is for the uncrewed Starliner 1 test flight, and five are for crewed missions after that, so the margin for error here is basically zero. Without a new ride, the spacecraft has no future regardless of how many flights NASA orders. So the agency will help fund certification of an additional launch vehicle. That almost guarantees a competition between United Launch Alliance's Vulcan and Blue Origin's New Glenn.

A Lifeline for Private Space Stations

Commercial Crew was built as a fixed-price program. Companies deliver certified spacecraft after receiving an agreed payment. Boeing has already absorbed more than $2 billion in charges from Starliner's troubles, a staggering sum that raises hard questions about whether the company still sees a future in this work.

NASA will now provide some funding, amount unclear, to resolve the propulsion issues from the last two flights. There are questions about Boeing's commitment given those losses. And Boeing might well have walked away. NASA appears to be meeting the company halfway to keep a capability alive.

The agency's choices were narrow. SpaceX has contractually fulfilled its Dragon obligations to NASA, so it can do what it wants with the vehicle. But if NASA wants a presence in low-Earth orbit after 2030, it needs another crew vehicle. In July, companies developing private space stations were panicking because SpaceX would not bid on crew transportation and Boeing would not commit to 2030s pricing, which meant they were designing stations with no way to get people there or back. Ordering more Starliner missions gives those operators at least one guaranteed provider, though the lack of competition raises pricing concerns.

The Blue Origin Angle

There's another path. Blue Origin has quietly staffed a dedicated team for years on a crewed Space Vehicle that would launch on New Glenn. Design work is advanced. Parachute drop tests have occurred. But the vehicle remains years and billions of dollars from flying. NASA could have opened a fresh competition to Boeing, Blue Origin, and wild cards like The Exploration Company for 2030s crew missions. It showed no appetite for that. So soon after the original Commercial Crew contest, they don't seem interested.

Still, Starliner flying on New Glenn carries real value. It's basically a free human certification for Blue Origin's rocket. That process is costly and slow. Boeing and NASA would also need to build a crew launch arm and related facilities that Blue Origin could later reuse for its own vehicle, which means they're investing in infrastructure someone else gets to borrow. As station operators hunt for savings, New Glenn's power offers another edge. It could potentially launch both a crewed spacecraft. Vulcan's ability to do the same is unclear.

For now, the plan is simple. More Starliner missions, shared repair costs, and a new rocket to keep the spacecraft flying into the next decade.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is NASA ordering more Starliner missions from Boeing?

NASA is ordering more Starliner missions because SpaceX has told the agency it intends to retire Crew Dragon by 2030, perhaps sooner, and Dragon is currently the only operational spacecraft NASA has for routine astronaut trips to low-Earth orbit. Without a replacement, losing Dragon would leave the agency with no way to reach orbit.

What did Gwynne Shotwell say about SpaceX's Crew Dragon and Boeing's capsule?

On the All-In Podcast, SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell was asked whether the company would keep flying Crew Dragon to meet demand, and she would not commit, saying, "We're not retiring it today, for sure." She then pointed at Boeing, saying "There is another provider" and "They should fly their capsule. The government paid a lot of money for that."

What is the problem with Starliner's current launcher, the Atlas V?

The Atlas V, built by United Launch Alliance, uses Russian engines and is near retirement, meaning it sits just a handful of missions away from being grounded forever. Six rockets remain: one is for the uncrewed Starliner 1 test flight, and five are for crewed missions after that, so the margin for error is basically zero.

How much has NASA paid SpaceX and Boeing since 2010 for development and certification of their crew vehicles?

Since 2010, NASA has paid SpaceX roughly $3.1 billion and Boeing $5.1 billion for development and certification of their crew vehicles. SpaceX has delivered on that investment, launching 13 crewed missions to the International Space Station for NASA, while Boeing has absorbed more than $2 billion in charges from Starliner's troubles.

What role could Blue Origin's New Glenn play in future Starliner missions?

NASA will help fund certification of an additional launch vehicle, almost guaranteeing a competition between United Launch Alliance's Vulcan and Blue Origin's New Glenn. Starliner flying on New Glenn carries real value because it is basically a free human certification for Blue Origin's rocket, and Boeing and NASA would also need to build a crew launch arm and related facilities that Blue Origin could later reuse for its own vehicle.