WASHINGTON, D.C. — NASA and Boeing leadership will hold a news conference on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, at 3 p.m. EDT to discuss Starliner’s development and plans for regular crew flights to and from the International Space Station. The briefing comes as the spacecraft remains uncertified for operational crew flights following a series of technical issues and delays.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman will participate in the briefing alongside Dana Weigel, manager of NASA’s Low Earth Orbit Program, and NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg. John Mulholland, vice president and program manager of Boeing Commercial Crew, will also join the discussion. Media credentialed for Crew-13 may attend the briefing in person at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The upcoming discussion follows a period of challenges for the Starliner program that began with its first crewed flight test in June 2024. Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft launched astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station during that mission, which was expected to last about eight days. Helium leaks and thruster failures occurred during Starliner's trip to the space station, complicating the initial phase of the flight.

In February 2026, NASA classified the Starliner flight as a Type A mishap. A Type A mishap is NASA’s most serious mishap category and applies to events that can endanger a crew or fail to achieve a primary mission objective. The classification followed an assessment of the loss of the spacecraft’s maneuverability as the crew approached the space station and the associated financial damages incurred.

A NASA inspector general audit found that unexpected testing problems since 2020 added about six years of delays to the Starliner program. The audit revealed that early confidence in Boeing’s experience and heritage hardware contributed to overly optimistic schedules and limited use of NASA’s contract rights to obtain company data. As of March 2026, the audit stated that helium leaks and propulsion failures on Starliner remained unresolved.

As of March 2026, NASA could not say when the Starliner spacecraft would receive human-rating certification. The NASA inspector general has said Starliner crew certification could be delayed until 2027. Starliner-1, the spacecraft’s next planned flight, is expected to be an uncrewed cargo mission.

The delays have implications for station staffing. A NASA inspector general audit said NASA does not have enough contracted flights to keep the space station fully staffed through 2030 and will need to purchase additional missions from Boeing or SpaceX. SpaceX has conducted regular crew rotations since 2020, while Starliner has not been certified for operational crew flights.

Why It Matters

The continued uncertainty surrounding Starliner’s certification affects NASA’s ability to maintain consistent crew presence on the International Space Station. With the station scheduled to operate through 2030, the agency faces a potential gap in crew transportation capacity if additional missions are not secured from either Boeing or SpaceX. The inspector general’s findings indicate systemic issues in contract oversight and schedule management that have extended the program’s timeline by approximately six years.

The financial scale of the Commercial Crew Program reflects the stakes involved in resolving Starliner’s technical challenges. The investment in both Boeing and SpaceX was intended to create redundant access to low Earth orbit, but only one provider has achieved regular operational status. The upcoming briefing represents a key opportunity for NASA and Boeing to outline a path forward for human-rating the spacecraft and integrating it into the regular crew rotation schedule.

Timeline

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft launched astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station in June 2024. NASA returned the Starliner capsule to Earth without its crew in September 2024. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams remained aboard the International Space Station after the Starliner return.

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams returned to Earth aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon in March 2025. NASA classified the Starliner flight as a Type A mishap in February 2026.

What's New

Details emerged that helium leaks and thruster failures occurred during Starliner's trip to the space station. The Starliner mission was expected to last about eight days.

Records show NASA’s original commercial crew awards were about $4.2 billion for Boeing’s Starliner and $2.6 billion for SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. Gwynne Shotwell stated, "There is another provider, right? Boeing has been paid, I think, probably more than we have been paid to develop their human capsule." She further said, "So we’re just gonna let them have some business. They should fly their capsule. The government paid a lot of money for that." Shotwell also noted, "We’re not retiring it today, for sure." A NASA inspector general audit revealed that unexpected testing problems in Starliner's development since 2020 added approximately six years of delays to the program, with unresolved helium leaks and propulsion failures as of March 2026.