Boeing in talks with NASA for 10 or more Starliner flights

The Wall Street Journal reported on September 18, 2026, that NASA is in talks with Boeing to use the Starliner spacecraft for 10 or more new missions to low-Earth orbit. The potential expansion comes after NASA previously cut its commitment from six operational missions to four, while Starliner has remained grounded since September 2024.

Boeing stated that it remains committed to NASA commercial crew efforts and looks forward to launching the next Starliner mission according to agency requirements. NASA wants two independent American crew systems so that an issue with SpaceX's Crew Dragon does not halt astronaut access to orbit. While SpaceX recently received three additional missions through 2030, NASA is planning for commercial space stations ahead of the International Space Station retirement around 2030.

Starliner's 2024 crewed test suffered the failure of five maneuvering thrusters near the ISS, prompting NASA to return the capsule empty and designate the flight a Type A mishap. The agency also cited poor decision-making, communication breakdowns, and an unhealthy relationship between teams.

Financially, Boeing has recorded roughly $2 billion in program charges since 2016 under a fixed-price structure. NASA reduced the existing contract value to approximately $3.7 billion. While more flights could boost revenue, Boeing must control execution costs to avoid compounding those losses.