SpaceX Is Retiring Crew Dragon, Forcing NASA to Bet Big on Boeing's Troubled Starliner

Key Points:

• NASA plans to order two more crewed Starliner missions from Boeing and will fund thruster repairs and certification for a new rocket launch, aiming to replace SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, which is set to retire in a few years.
• Boeing’s Starliner has faced significant technical issues, including a failed June 2024 crewed test flight that left astronauts stranded on the ISS for months, but NASA remains committed to certifying it for operational use.
• An uncrewed Starliner mission, essential for full crewed flight certification, is still pending with its launch date under review, while Boeing has incurred over $2 billion in losses on the program.
• NASA recently extended SpaceX’s Crew Dragon contract through 2030 with a $946 million award for three more ISS missions, but SpaceX plans to retire Crew Dragon by then, leaving Starliner as the primary replacement option.
• NASA’s continued investment in Starliner reflects its need to ensure reliable crew transportation to low Earth orbit beyond the ISS’s planned retirement around 2030 and to support future commercial space endeavors.