NASA announced plans on September 28, 2026, to fly Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on an uncrewed test mission this December or in January 2027. The flight aims to validate spacecraft upgrades following a troubled 2024 crewed test, as the agency seeks to maintain secondary astronaut transport options before SpaceX eventually retires its Dragon fleet.
NASA Sets Uncrewed Starliner-1 Flight for December
Boeing’s Starliner capsule is scheduled to return to the launchpad between December 2026 and January 2027 for an uncrewed test flight designated as Starliner-1, according to an update shared by NASA and Boeing on September 28, 2026. The mission will carry cargo to the International Space Station without crew members.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said during a press conference that the flight is designed to test spacecraft modifications and gather essential flight data. If the mission succeeds, NASA and Boeing are targeting 2028 for the next crewed flight, known as Starliner-2.
NASA anticipated spending $359 million for the new initiatives with Boeing, adding to a contract originally listed at $4.1 billion before being reduced last fall to $3.7 billion as NASA cut its contracted flights from six to four. Dana Weigel noted that the space agency could return to its original plan for six total flights.
The Space segment saw Q2 2026 revenue rise 13% year-over-year to $7.5 billion despite a minor operating loss of $15 million. It gains consistent, long-term government support through the procurement of more Starliner missions.
Starliner-1 will operate as an uncrewed engineering evaluation mission to check improved thermal environments, collect the performance data needed for system qualification, and pinpoint any remaining risk before crewed flights begin.
Engineers Address Propulsion Failures from First Crewed Mission
The upcoming flight follows a detailed investigation into the propulsion and thruster failures that disrupted Starliner’s first crewed mission in June 2024. During that flight, astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams experienced multiple helium leaks and thruster anomalies while rendezvousing with the space station.
The capsule returned safely to Earth uncrewed in September 2024, but the two astronauts remained on the orbiting laboratory for several months before returning aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule in March 2025.
An agency Program Investigation Team subsequently issued 61 recommendations to improve human spaceflight safety. Dana Weigel, manager of NASA’s Low Earth Orbit Program, explained the root cause of the thruster failures during the September press briefing.
“We determined that the crew module thruster anomaly is the result of corrosion. This is created by residual hydrazine propellant combined with atmospheric exposure — specifically, the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere — and so Boeing has put in place procedures to flush out the hydrazine, and also to flow a continuous purge to isolate those thrusters from the environment.”
Dana Weigel, manager of NASA’s Low Earth Orbit Program, via Space
Boeing has already implemented several corrective measures on the Starliner-1 vehicle, including thermal modifications to the service module. Following the upcoming uncrewed flight, teams will complete additional updates, such as installing new crew module thrusters, updated batteries, and minor parachute system adjustments, along with a redesign of the reaction control system valves.
NASA Diversifies Transport as SpaceX Phases Out Dragon
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon currently serves as the sole operational U.S. vehicle capable of ferrying astronauts to the space station. However, SpaceX executives have indicated that the Dragon and Falcon program will eventually be phased out as the company focuses on its Starship vehicle.
NASA opted to maintain its investment in Boeing to avoid relying on a single provider or depending on Russian Soyuz spacecraft as a lifeboat. John Mulholland, vice president and program manager of Commercial Crew at Boeing, expressed enthusiasm for the renewed partnership.
Veteran astronaut Warren “Woody” Hoburg has been named to command the upcoming Starliner-2 crewed mission in 2028, expressing strong confidence in the spacecraft’s handling capabilities.
It is not yet known if the Starliner-1 mission will successfully validate the modifications required to meet the 2028 crewed flight target.