NASA has restructured its Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contract with Boeing, which covers the Starliner spacecraft. Under the updated agreement, the number of missions has been set at four flights, with two additional optional missions. The target date for the first uncrewed Starliner-1 mission is April 2026.
A comprehensive review process has been completed for the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contract awarded to Boeing by NASA in 2014. Following the assessment, both parties mutually agreed to update the contract in line with mission planning and certification requirements.
With the change, Boeing’s six-mission authorization has been reorganised into four confirmed flights and two optional missions. The next Starliner flight, Starliner-1, will not carry crew; instead, it will deliver necessary cargo to the International Space Station and aims to validate system upgrades carried out after last year’s Crew Flight Test in the flight environment.
NASA and Boeing stated that, depending on ongoing tests, certification processes and mission readiness work, Starliner-1 could be launched as early as April 2026. After the mission is successfully completed, Starliner will conduct up to three crew rotation flights to the ISS.
Steve Stich, Manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, emphasised that Starliner systems continue to be rigorously tested and said:
“This change allows us to focus on safely certifying the system in 2026. Once ready, Starliner is expected to carry out its first crew rotation and align planning with the ISS’s requirements through 2030.”
NASA highlighted that Starliner plays a critical role in its strategy to maintain human presence in low Earth orbit, noting that cross-system redundancy is indispensable for international commitments.
