Boeing Starliner-1

This article is about the space mission. For Starliner unit #1, see Boeing Starliner § List of spacecraft. For Starliner flight #1, see Boeing Starliner § List of flights.

Boeing Starliner-1

Artist's impression of a Boeing Starliner docking to the ISS
Mission type	ISS crew transport
Operator	Boeing Defense, Space & Security
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Boeing Starliner  Spacecraft 2
Spacecraft type	Boeing Starliner
Manufacturer	Boeing Defense, Space & Security
Launch mass	13,000 kg (29,000 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	TBD [1]
Rocket	Atlas V N22 [a]
Launch site	Cape Canaveral, SLC-41
Contractor	United Launch Alliance [b]
End of mission
Landing site	TBD [c]
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric orbit
Regime	Low Earth orbit
Inclination	51.66°
Docking with ISS
Docking port	Harmony forward or zenith
Commercial Crew Program ←  SpaceX Crew-12 SpaceX Crew-13  → Boeing Starliner flights ←  Boeing CFT Boeing Starliner-2  →

Boeing Starliner-1 is a planned cargo mission of the Boeing Starliner to the International Space Station (ISS) under NASA's Commercial Crew Program. It was to be the first operational crewed mission following the Boeing Crew Flight Test (CFT). ^[3] After the CFT mission encountered significant technical issues, NASA and Boeing restructured the program, and Starliner-1 will now fly as an uncrewed cargo mission. ^{[4] [5]} Launch was planned for no earlier than (NET) April 2026, ^[6] but was then postponed indefinitely. ^[1]

Crew

Starliner-1 was originally manifested as a crewed ISS rotation flight with several astronauts assigned and later reassigned due to program delays. In April 2022, NASA announced that it had not finalized crew placements among the Starliner astronaut cadre, including Barry Wilmore, Michael Fincke, and Sunita Williams. ^[7] Williams and Wilmore were later assigned to the crewed CFT mission.

On September 30, 2022, Scott D. Tingle was named commander and Fincke as pilot. ^[8] Fincke had previously served as a backup for CFT. ^[9] On November 22, 2023, Joshua Kutryk was assigned as a mission specialist by the Canadian Space Agency. ^[10] Kimiya Yui of JAXA was expected to occupy the remaining seat. ^[11]

Multiple crew changes followed as delays accumulated. Williams, initially planned for Starliner-1, ^[12] was reassigned to CFT. Jeanette Epps was added to Starliner-1 in 2020, ^[13] but moved to SpaceX Crew-8 in 2023. ^[14] Koichi Wakata joined the mission in May 2021, ^[15] then transferred to SpaceX Crew-5 later that year. ^{[16] [17]}

On March 27, 2025, Fincke and Yui were reassigned to SpaceX Crew-11, and on November 4, 2025, Tingle became Chief of the Astronaut Office. On November 24, 2025, NASA announced that Starliner-1 would fly uncrewed, and Kutryk was removed from the flight. ^[5] The first crew rotation mission is now expected to be Boeing Starliner-2 if certification is achieved.

Mission

Starliner-1 was expected to mark the first reuse of a Starliner spacecraft. The vehicle initially chosen was the capsule flown on the first uncrewed Boeing Orbital Flight Test in December 2019 and later named Calypso by Sunita Williams. ^[18] After Calypso was reassigned to the crewed CFT mission, Boeing Starliner Spacecraft 2, which flew on Boeing Orbital Flight Test 2, was designated for Starliner-1.

The CFT mission revealed several technical issues, including concerns about the spacecraft's ability to safely return astronauts to Earth. NASA stated that a second crewed test flight may be required, ^[19] which would further delay Starliner-1. ^{[20] [21] [22]}

In July 2025, Steve Stich, program manager for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, said the next Starliner flight would likely be an uncrewed cargo mission while engineers continued work on oxidizer-valve temperature-control issues that prevented reliable engine pulsing. Stich said NASA remained optimistic that a crewed Starliner flight could occur on the program's second available slot in late 2026. ^[23]

However, an investigation report released in February 2026 retroactively classified the CFT as a Type A mishap, NASA's most severe failure category, typically reserved for missions involving loss of vehicle or life. The report cited hardware failures, qualification deficiencies, leadership errors, and organizational shortcomings that created risks inconsistent with NASA's human spaceflight safety standards. Administrator Jared Isaacman said that while the spacecraft has design and engineering deficiencies requiring correction, he was most troubled by the failures in decision-making and leadership at both NASA and Boeing. Steve Stich reported that the investigation was still ongoing and that Starliner-1 would not fly until the investigation was completed and any needed mitigations could be implemented. ^{[24] [25] [1]}

Notes

1. N22 designates that the Atlas V has no payload fairing, two solid rocket boosters, and two Centaur second-stage engines.
2. Boeing owns a 50% stake in ULA. Lockheed Martin owns the other 50%.
3. Potential landing locations include two sites inside the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, the Willcox Playa in Arizona, the Dugway Proving Ground in Utah, and Edwards Air Force Base in California. ^[2]

References

1. Berger, Eric (February 19, 2026). "NASA chief classifies Starliner flight as "Type A" mishap, says agency made mistakes". Ars Technica . Retrieved February 19, 2026.
2. "NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test Mission Overview". NASA. Archived from the original on June 1, 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
3. "Boeing's Starliner Makes Progress Ahead of Flight Test with Astronauts". NASA Commercial Crew. NASA. August 28, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
4. Niles-Carnes, Elyna (October 15, 2024). "NASA Updates 2025 Commercial Crew Plan". NASA. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
5. "NASA, Boeing Modify Commercial Crew Contract". NASA. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
6. Jeff Foust (February 10, 2026). "NASA, Boeing still working on Starliner return to flight". SpaceNews. Retrieved February 18, 2026. At a Feb. 9 briefing... Stich did not offer a more specific launch date for Starliner-1 beyond reiterating a launch no earlier than April. "We want to work through and get through Starliner-1 in the summer timeframe and see where we're at," he said.
7. Clark, Stephen (May 18, 2022). "Starliner astronauts eager to see results of crew capsule test flight". Spaceflight Now. Archived from the original on May 23, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
8. "NASA Updates Crew Assignments for First Starliner Crew Rotation Flight". NASA. September 30, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2022. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
9. Potter, Sean (June 16, 2022). "NASA Updates Astronaut Assignments for Boeing Starliner Test Flight". NASA. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
10. Cawley, James (November 22, 2023). "Mission Specialist Assigned to NASA's Boeing Starliner-1 Mission". NASA. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
11. "Next up is launch, as Boeing's Starliner takes trek to Cape Canaveral". April 17, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
12. "NASA Assigns Crews to First Test Flights, Missions on Commercial Spacecraft". August 3, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
13. Boeing [@Boeing] (August 25, 2020). "The Starliner team is adding a new NASA astronaut" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
14. "Space Station Assignments Out for NASA's SpaceX Crew-8 Mission". August 5, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
15. "NASA, Boeing target July 30 for redo of Starliner test flight to ISS". Orlando Sentinel. May 21, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
16. "NASA Announces Astronaut Changes for Upcoming Commercial Crew Missions" (Press release). NASA. October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
17. @jaxa_wdc (October 12, 2021). "JAXA has announced their WAKATA Koichi @Astro_Wakata is headed for the International Space Station aboard SpaceX's…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
18. Williams, Sunita [@Astro_Suni] (December 22, 2019). "Thanking two mission control personnel" (Tweet) – via Twitter. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
19. Clark, Stephen (August 24, 2024). "NASA's Starliner decision was the right one, but it's a crushing blow for Boeing". Ars Technica.
20. Roulette, Joey (August 24, 2024). "SpaceX to return Boeing's Starliner astronauts from space next year". Reuters . Retrieved September 14, 2024.
21. Wattles, Jackie (September 13, 2024). "Boeing Starliner astronaut: 'We found some things that we just could not get comfortable with'". CNN . Retrieved September 14, 2024.
22. "NASA, Boeing Welcome Starliner Spacecraft to Earth, Close Mission". NASA . Retrieved September 14, 2024.
23. Dinner, Josh (July 17, 2025). "'Doghouse' days of summer — Boeing's Starliner won't fly again until 2026, and without astronauts aboard". Space.com . Retrieved August 5, 2025.
24. Cowing, Keith (February 19, 2026). "A Message From Administrator Jared Isaacman (Starliner)". NASA Watch. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
25. Roulette, Joey (February 19, 2026). "NASA chief slams Boeing, agency's failures in botched Starliner astronaut mission". Reuters. Retrieved February 19, 2026.