NASA: Boeing Starliner Could Fly Again Later This Year

Agency describes the flight as a ‘crew-capable post-certification mission’ but acknowledges the possibility of flying without astronauts.

Friday, March 28, 2025 at 01:11 PM ET

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NASA and Boeing are planning testing of Starliner’s systems and hope for the spacecraft to fly again with crew later this year. [Courtesy: NASA]

Key Takeaways:

Despite an extended crew test flight plagued by helium leaks and degraded thrusters, NASA indicates Boeing's Starliner could fly again as early as this year, pending successful completion of ground testing.
NASA and Boeing are actively addressing the identified technical issues, including design flaws causing thruster overheating in the "doghouses" and helium system leaks, through ongoing testing and potential system upgrades.
The next flight is planned as a "crew capable post-certification mission," but could be converted to a cargo mission based on agency needs, with Boeing reaffirming its commitment to the program despite significant financial losses.

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Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has been under the microscope after SpaceX stepped in to return NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams—who made the vehicle’s inaugural crew flight test (CFT)—from the International Space Station (ISS) after their sojourn was extended from about one week to more than nine months.

NASA on Thursday, though, said Starliner—which suffered helium leaks and degraded thrusters on orbit—could fly again as soon as this year. The timeline will depend upon the completion of testing at White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico, targeted for spring or summer.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.