NASA to support Boeing Starliner with additional missions and technical aid

NASA is planning to order two additional crewed Starliner missions from Boeing to ensure continued access to low Earth orbit. This move comes as SpaceX indicates it intends to phase out its Crew Dragon spacecraft by 2030, if not sooner, to focus on the development of the Starship program.

Beyond ordering new missions, NASA intends to provide financial assistance to cover a portion of the costs required to fix propulsion system issues identified during recent Starliner flights. Additionally, the agency will offer organizational support to assist in the certification of the Starliner spacecraft for use on new launch vehicles, such as United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket, as the current Atlas V fleet nears retirement.