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NASA to Brief Starliner Future After Thruster Failures

By Drooid · Sep 28, 2026, 11:19 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Jared Isaacman Briefs

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman will brief on Starliner’s future at 3 p.m. EDT on Monday.
The briefing will cover plans for crewed flights to the International Space Station.
Starliner’s crewed test flight launched astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams in June 2024.
Thruster failures and helium leaks forced NASA to return the capsule without the crew.
The astronauts returned on a Dragon capsule in March 2025 after nine months aboard the station.

Summary

Boeing Upgrades Starliner

NASA and Boeing will test thermal modifications to Starliner service-module thrusters on the upcoming uncrewed flight.
An additional thruster-valve redesign targeting poppet-seal extrusion will be evaluated after Starliner-1 launch.
Boeing plans upgraded batteries and parachute tweaks to boost reliability.
A NASA Inspector General audit blamed over-optimistic schedules on early confidence in Boeing’s heritage hardware.
Starliner-1 is slated as an uncrewed cargo mission potentially launching in December 2026 or January 2027.

History

Historical Context

On 1 February 2003 Columbia broke apart on re-entry, killing its seven-member crew and halting shuttle flights for more than two years. The Columbia Accident Investigation Board, led by Admiral Harold W. Gehman, prompted on-orbit tile inspections, rescue-mission planning and extensive redesign that allowed flights to resume with STS-114 in July 2005. Those safety reforms still shape today’s commercial crew programs.

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Jared Isaacman Briefs

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman will brief on Starliner’s future at 3 p.m. EDT on Monday.
The briefing will cover plans for crewed flights to the International Space Station.
Starliner’s crewed test flight launched astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams in June 2024.
Thruster failures and helium leaks forced NASA to return the capsule without the crew.
The astronauts returned on a Dragon capsule in March 2025 after nine months aboard the station.

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