Boeing that carried Sunita Williams is set to fly again:What went wrong with Starliner 1 in 2024 what does Crew 13 have to do with it?

After carrying Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore to the ISS in 2024, Boeing’s Starliner is set to fly again, but without astronauts first. NASA plans an uncrewed test in December 2026 or January 2027, followed by a crewed mission in 2028. Here’s what went wrong in 2024, what Boeing has changed, and why NASA wants Starliner alongside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. For Boeing’s Starliner, the next journey will be less about carrying people and more about proving that it can safely carry people again. NASA and Boeing plan to send an uncrewed Starliner-1 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in December 2026 or January 2027. The spacecraft will be used to test changes made after its troubled 2024 crewed flight. If the test goes as planned, NASA expects astronauts to return aboard Starliner-2 in 2028. How did Sunita Williams return if Starliner is coming back now? Boeing’s Starliner launched on June 5, 2024, carrying NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore to the ISS. They reached the space station on June 6. The mission was originally planned to last around 10 days. Instead, the astronauts stayed in space for about nine months. During the flight, Starliner developed several problems, including helium leaks and failures involving its propulsion system and reaction-control thrusters. These small thrusters are important because they help the spacecraft control its position and orientation in space, particularly while approaching and leaving the ISS. Although Starliner successfully reached the station, NASA eventually decided that returning Williams and Wilmore aboard the spacecraft involved too much risk. Starliner therefore came back to Earth without astronauts in September 2024. Williams and Wilmore later returned aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon in March 2025. So, while the astronauts are often described as having been “stranded” in space, they were not abandoned. NASA deliberately kept them on the ISS after deciding that this was the safer option. What did NASA find wrong? NASA’s investigation found that the problems went beyond individual hardware failures. The agency’s investigation produced 61 recommendations and identified a combination of hardware failures, gaps in testing and qualification, management issues, and organisational problems. One major area of concern was Starliner’s propulsion system. NASA and Boeing later determined that some of the thruster problems were linked to overheating and the way the thrusters were operating under certain conditions. Engineers have since worked on changes to reduce the possibility of similar problems. The helium leaks were also traced to issues involving valves and their seals in the propulsion system. What is Starliner-1? The next major step is Starliner-1, an uncrewed mission to the ISS. This time, there will be no astronauts inside. The purpose is to check whether the spacecraft’s modifications work properly during an actual spaceflight and to collect data that NASA needs before certifying Starliner for regular crewed missions. NASA’s Low Earth Orbit Program manager Dana Weigel described the flight as an important step towards certifying the spacecraft for human spaceflight. He further explained: Starliner’s next flight is a critical step on the path to achieving full system certification and ensuring a sustained human presence in low Earth orbit. Starliner-1 could launch in December 2026 or January 2027. Also read: India may see costlier smartphones as RAM shortage worsens: World’s biggest memory chip maker says demand will stay high through 2028 When will astronauts fly Starliner again? NASA currently plans to fly astronauts aboard Starliner-2 in 2028. NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg has already been selected to command the mission, although the rest of the crew has not yet been announced. The idea is to first use Starliner-1 to gather real-world flight data, analyse the results, and complete the remaining certification work before putting astronauts inside again. In simple terms: NASA wants the first mission to provide enough evidence that it can confidently certify Starliner for regular human spaceflight Why does NASA need Starliner when SpaceX already has Dragon? This is the bigger reason NASA has continued investing in Starliner despite its problems. At present, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon is the operational US commercial spacecraft regularly carrying NASA astronauts to and from the ISS. NASA does not want to depend on a single spacecraft or company for human transportation. Having Starliner and Dragon would give NASA two independent commercial crew options. If one spacecraft is unavailable because of a technical problem, maintenance or another issue, NASA would have another system available for crew transportation. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said: NASA has been committed to having multiple crew transportation options since the beginning of the Commercial Crew Program. The agency also expects demand for spacecraft to increase as the US expands its activities in low Earth orbit and works towards future Moon and Mars missions. What does Crew-13 have to do with Starliner? The connection is mainly about NASA’s dependence on SpaceX today versus its plans. NASA’s Crew-13 mission, launching aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, is another regular astronaut rotation to the ISS. It shows that Dragon is currently handling the operational commercial crew role for NASA. Crew-13 is not a Starliner mission, and Starliner’s return does not directly affect the mission. But once Starliner becomes operational, NASA would have another spacecraft capable of performing similar crew-transportation missions. Also read: SpaceX’s Crew 13 launch: NASA astronauts complete ‘dry dress’ rehearsal; why is it important before a crewed spaceflight?
Starliner will eventually need a new rocket too There is another challenge for Boeing. Earlier Starliner missions launched on United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket, but Atlas V is being retired. Later Starliner missions are planned to use ULA’s Vulcan Centaur rocket. However, Vulcan also needs to complete the necessary certification for crewed launches.
If that process succeeds, Starliner could eventually give NASA something it has wanted since the beginning of the Commercial Crew Program: a second American commercial spacecraft for transporting astronauts to and from low Earth orbit.