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NASA Funds Starliner Fixes, Plans Uncrewed Test Flight by December

NASA will spend an additional $359 million on Starliner upgrades and rocket certification after the 2024 test flight left two astronauts in orbit for months.

  • On Monday, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced that Boeing will launch an uncrewed Starliner test flight to the International Space Station in December, with crewed missions delayed until 2028 pending safety redesigns.
  • NASA reclassified the 2024 test flight that stranded two astronauts for months as a 'Type A mishap,' the agency's most severe ranking for incidents resulting in significant damage or vehicle loss of control.
  • The space agency is investing an additional $359 million for Starliner upgrades and Vulcan certification. Boeing has implemented fixes on the spacecraft after identifying the cause of helium leaks and thruster failures.
  • SpaceX remains the sole operational provider for crewed missions, with NASA purchasing three additional flights for $946 million earlier this month. NASA is certifying United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur rockets as a replacement for the retiring Atlas fleet.
  • NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg will command the next crewed Starliner mission. SpaceX intends to phase out its Crew Dragon capsule for the larger Starship in coming years, underscoring NASA's need for redundant U.S.-based crew transportation.
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NASA has begun preparations to use Boeing's Starliner spacecraft again for crewed missions. The first test flight will take place without astronauts before December 2026. This will test the Starliner's modified thrusters and other systems. If the test is successful, astronauts are planned to be sent to the International Space Station in 2028. This mission will be commanded by NASA's Woody Hoberg.

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Channel News Asia broke the news in Singapore, Singapore on Monday, September 28, 2026.
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