What’s Next for Boeing Starliner?

NASA is considering flying the capsule without a crew on its next test flight.

Wednesday, March 19, 2025 at 04:50 PM ET

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Boeing’s Starliner capsule undocks from the International Space Station (ISS) in September without Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, the crew of its inaugural crew flight test (CFT). [Courtesy: NASA]

Key Takeaways:

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams returned to Earth via a SpaceX capsule, as their original ride, Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, experienced helium leaks and thruster issues during its inaugural crew flight test.
Boeing's Starliner faces an uncertain future, with its certification for regular crewed missions delayed due to unresolved technical problems, and NASA yet to decide if its next flight will carry astronauts.
Despite Starliner's setbacks and significant costs, NASA remains committed to the program to establish a redundant commercial crew transport capability to the ISS alongside SpaceX's Dragon.

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After 268 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams made their highly anticipated return to Earth on Tuesday evening. But while they are back on solid ground, the vehicle that flew them to the orbital laboratory faces an uncertain future.

Wilmore and Williams were commander and pilot, respectively, for the inaugural crew flight test (CFT) of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which the company is developing under a multibillion-dollar NASA contract. The brief mission was extended after engineers uncovered helium leaks and thruster issues with Starliner, which returned to Earth empty in September, prompting NASA to enlist SpaceX for the astronauts’ return flight.

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.