NASA and Boeing cut Starliner missions to 4

NASA and Boeing have agreed to scale back the number of guaranteed crewed flights under Boeing’s Commercial Crew contract, modifying the original 2014 award from up to six operational missions to four firm missions, with two additional flights retained as options.

The adjustment comes as the aerospace company continues extended ground testing of the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft following thruster failures and helium leaks encountered during its first crewed test flight in 2024.

An uncrewed cargo mission, designated Starliner-1, will now serve as the next flight of the spacecraft. NASA said the mission will deliver supplies to the International Space Station while demonstrating fixes made after last year’s Crew Flight Test. The agency is targeting no earlier than April 2026 for the launch