Boeing's Starliner spacecraft is not expected to carry astronauts again until 2028, NASA said on Monday, September 28, and the agency will work to certify a new rocket to launch it once the current booster is retired. "Our current plan is to return astronauts on Starliner-2 by 2028," NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in the agency's announcement.

On the rocket question, NASA's wording is specific. The agency said it will work with Boeing and United Launch Alliance to certify the Vulcan rocket for use after the Atlas V rocket's final flight. Starliner has flown on the Atlas V until now, and only about half a dozen of those boosters remain in ULA's inventory, so the change is a planned transition rather than an immediate swap. The release does not set a date for the first Vulcan-launched Starliner.

Before any astronauts climb aboard, Starliner must prove itself on an uncrewed mission called Starliner-1, which NASA said has the potential to fly in December 2026 or January 2027. The reset matters beyond Boeing: NASA wants two independent U.S. crew vehicles to keep astronauts flowing to the International Space Station and, later, to commercial space stations.

The Uncrewed Starliner-1 Test Comes First

NASA described Starliner-1 as an engineering evaluation mission that will rendezvous and dock with the space station. It will verify improved thermal environments around the spacecraft's thrusters, gather performance data needed for system qualification and identify residual risk ahead of crewed missions, according to the release.

Dana Weigel, manager of NASA's Low Earth Orbit Program, said the agency will test Starliner's propulsion system "through targeted demonstration objectives and disciplined operational controls." She told reporters the flight will include a series of on-orbit demonstrations that stress the thrusters, and that the spacecraft will fly under stricter performance parameters when operating close to the station, Spaceflight Now reported.

NASA also said it intends to exercise contract options for a fifth and sixth Starliner flight to and from the station. Veteran astronaut Warren "Woody" Hoburg has been named commander of Starliner-2, with the rest of the crew to be named later, and officials described a mid-2028 target for that mission.

Fixes Traced to the 2024 Crewed Flight

The reset stems from Starliner's first crewed mission. Astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita Williams launched on June 5, 2024, for what was billed as a 10-day test flight, but helium leaks and the failure of five service module thrusters during the approach to the station led NASA to bring Starliner home empty. The two astronauts returned aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon on March 18, 2025, after 286 days in orbit. An independent review board later classified the propulsion problems as a close call.

NASA released its Program Investigation Team findings in February with 61 recommendations. The report found that Starliner's service module reaction control thrusters had operated outside their engineering qualification, causing the loss of control experienced during the flight. Ground testing traced the problem to a combination of factors, including the thermal environment and features inherent in the design.

Boeing has since made thermal modifications to the service module, which NASA will evaluate on Starliner-1. After that flight, the companies plan to complete a thruster valve redesign aimed at poppet seal extrusion, a problem in which a Teflon valve seal deforms and restricts propellant flow. Boeing will also install new crew module thrusters and batteries and make minor parachute changes, according to NASA.

Two Crew Vehicles and the Space Station Timeline

SpaceX's Crew Dragon is currently the only operational U.S. spacecraft carrying astronauts, as the agency's Crew-13 mission preview illustrates. Weigel said the Commercial Crew Program has always aimed for two providers, noting that SpaceX has publicly stated the Dragon and the Falcon "won't be around forever," according to Spaceflight Now. NASA plans to retire the space station in 2030 and transition to commercial destinations after that.

That timeline leaves limited room for further slips. If Starliner-2 flies in mid-2028 as hoped, Boeing would have roughly two years of station operations left to demonstrate routine crew service before retirement, and any additional certification work could compress that window.

The evidence behind the new schedule comes from NASA's investigation and ground testing, not yet from flight. Starliner-1 will be the first chance to confirm in space that the thermal fixes work, and NASA has said the valve redesign will follow that flight rather than precede it. The release describes 2028 as the current plan, not a guaranteed date.

Milestones Between Now and 2028

The next milestones are the final validation work for Starliner-1, a formal launch date announcement, and the flight itself in the December-to-January window. The thruster data will shape whether the 2028 crewed target holds. Readers can follow updated launch timing on NASA's Commercial Crew pages and on public schedules such as Spaceflight Now's launch schedule.

For the public, launches from Florida's Space Coast remain viewable from nearby beaches and parks, and uncrewed test flights typically draw smaller crowds than crewed missions. Viewing plans should wait until NASA and ULA announce a firm launch date and time, which have not been set.

NASA now plans to fly astronauts on Boeing's Starliner again by 2028, after an uncrewed Starliner-1 test that could launch in December 2026 or January 2027, and to certify ULA's Vulcan rocket for use once the Atlas V is retired. The schedule depends on Starliner-1 proving its thermal fixes in space.

What Readers Want to Know

When will Starliner carry astronauts again?

NASA's current plan is to fly astronauts on Starliner-2 by 2028. Officials described a mid-2028 target, but the date depends on the uncrewed test flight and certification work.

When is the uncrewed Starliner-1 flight?

NASA said Starliner-1 has the potential to fly in December 2026 or January 2027. No firm launch date has been announced.

Does Starliner need a new rocket?

NASA said it will work with Boeing and United Launch Alliance to certify the Vulcan rocket for use after the Atlas V rocket's final flight. It did not set a date for the first Vulcan-launched Starliner.

What went wrong on the 2024 crewed flight?

Five service module thrusters failed, and the spacecraft had helium leaks during its approach to the station. Starliner returned empty, and its two astronauts came home on a SpaceX Crew Dragon after 286 days.

What fixes is Boeing making?

Thermal modifications to the service module, a thruster valve redesign, new crew module thrusters and batteries, and minor parachute changes, according to NASA.

Who will command the first crewed Starliner-2 flight?

NASA astronaut Warren "Woody" Hoburg. The rest of the crew has not been named.