NASA inspector general suggests Boeing's Starliner will now be a decade late

Key Points:

• NASA’s inspector general audit indicates Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule likely won’t be certified for operational ISS flights until 2027, three years before the ISS’s planned 2030 retirement.
• The Starliner program has faced significant delays and technical issues, including helium leaks, overheating thrusters, and parachute anomalies, with about 100 in-flight anomalies reported during its 2024 crewed test flight.
• NASA has agreed to six recommendations from the inspector general, including developing and updating a realistic schedule for Starliner’s next missions, but the next flight, a cargo mission Starliner-1, currently has an uncertain launch date.
• Due to Starliner delays, NASA reduced Boeing’s crew rotation missions and increased reliance on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, resulting in higher costs, including an estimated $300 million for an additional crew transportation flight and $17 million paid to SpaceX for accelerated missions.
• Scheduling constraints with United Launch Alliance and ISS docking availability further complicate Starliner’s certification timeline, potentially limiting its operational crew flights to just 2027–2030.