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NASA to Fly Boeing’s Starliner Uncrewed First — Starliner-1 Set for April 2026 Cargo Mission

08:27 AM, 11/25/2025
NASA to Fly Boeing’s Starliner Uncrewed First — Starliner-1 Set for April 2026 Cargo Mission

NASA has moved Boeing’s next Starliner flight to an uncrewed cargo mission, Starliner-1, now targeted for April 2026 to validate propulsion and system fixes from last year’s troubled crewed test. The mission will deliver supplies to the ISS and provide in-flight verification of upgrades. If successful, NASA may clear up to three crewed Starliner missions before the station is retired around 2030–31. Boeing’s original contract called for six flights at $4.82 billion; SpaceX’s Dragon has flown 12 crews since 2020 under a $3.14 billion contract.

NASA has revised its plan for Boeing’s Starliner, scheduling the next flight as an uncrewed cargo mission to validate recent fixes before returning the spacecraft to crewed service.

In a Nov. 24 update from NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, the agency said Starliner-1 — previously planned as a crew rotation — is now targeted for as soon as April 2026 and will deliver cargo to the International Space Station (ISS). The change gives NASA and Boeing additional time to complete propulsion testing and verify system upgrades implemented after last year’s crewed flight test.

“NASA and Boeing are continuing to rigorously test the Starliner propulsion system in preparation for two potential flights next year,” said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

The uncrewed Starliner-1 mission will carry essential supplies to the orbital laboratory and provide an in‑flight validation opportunity for the upgrades made following the June 2024 crewed test. If the cargo flight succeeds, NASA could approve up to three crewed Starliner missions before the ISS is retired around 2030–31.

Last year’s crewed test exposed problems — including helium leaks and thruster malfunctions during docking — that prevented the spacecraft from returning its two astronauts on schedule. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams remained on the station and later returned to Earth on the Crew-10 SpaceX Dragon in March 2025.

Under its original agreement, Boeing planned six Starliner flights at a contract value of $4.82 billion; that number was later reduced to four by mutual agreement. For context, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, selected alongside Starliner in 2014, has flown 12 crew missions to the ISS since 2020 under an initial contract of $3.14 billion.

What’s next

NASA and Boeing continue rigorous propulsion and systems testing ahead of the April 2026 window. The outcome of Starliner-1 will determine whether the spacecraft can be recertified to carry astronauts and rejoin regular crew rotations to the ISS.

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