NASA to order two more Boeing Starliner missions as Crew Dragon retirement looms

September 17, 2026 at 07:37 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

NASA will announce as early as next week an order for two additional Boeing Starliner crewed missions, according to multiple sources. The agency will also fund thruster fixes and support certifying Starliner on a new rocket. The move comes as SpaceX signals it may retire Crew Dragon by 2030, leaving Starliner as NASA's only alternative for astronaut transport.

Key Facts

NASA will order two additional Starliner crewed missions from Boeing, with an announcement expected as early as next week.
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said on the All-In Podcast that the company is not retiring Crew Dragon today but would not commit to flying it for an extended period.
NASA has paid Boeing $5.1 billion for Commercial Crew development and certification, compared with $3.1 billion to SpaceX.
SpaceX has launched 13 crewed missions to the International Space Station with Crew Dragon, all successful, with the next flight set for October.

NASA's Starliner Support

NASA will order two additional Starliner crewed missions from Boeing, with an announcement expected as early as next week. The agency will also pay some of the costs to fix the spacecraft's thruster issues and provide support to certify Starliner for launch on a new rocket after its Atlas V retires. These steps are intended to ensure Starliner can continue flying after the Atlas V rocket is retired.

SpaceX Crew Dragon Retirement

SpaceX has signaled to NASA that it intends to retire the Crew Dragon vehicle by 2030, if not before. SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said on the All-In Podcast that the company is not retiring Crew Dragon today but would not commit to flying it for an extended period. Shotwell pointed to Boeing as another provider, saying Boeing has been paid more than SpaceX to develop its human capsule and should fly it. Crew Dragon is currently the only operational spacecraft NASA has for routine astronaut missions to low-Earth orbit.

Commercial Crew Program Costs

Since 2010, NASA has paid SpaceX approximately $3.1 billion and Boeing $5.1 billion for development and certification of their vehicles under the Commercial Crew program. SpaceX has launched 13 crewed missions to the International Space Station with Crew Dragon, all successful, with the next flight set for October. Boeing's Starliner has struggled to enter service, with a checkered record in spaceflight to date.