GoKawiilNASA to order two more Starliner crewed flights as SpaceX signals Dragon retirement
NASA plans to announce as soon as next week that it will order two additional crewed missions from Boeing's Starliner, help fund fixes to its thruster problems, and support certifying the capsule for launch on a new rocket. The move comes after SpaceX told NASA officials it intends to retire Crew Dragon by 2030 or sooner as it shifts focus toward Starship and Starlink-related business.
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Crew Dragon is currently NASA's only working vehicle for routine astronaut trips to low-Earth orbit, so losing it without a reliable backup would leave the US dependent on a single, troubled spacecraft. Starliner has suffered repeated technical setbacks, including thruster failures that stranded astronauts longer than planned, making NASA's renewed investment a high-stakes bet on Boeing finally delivering.
- NASA will reportedly order two more crewed Starliner missions and help pay for thruster fixes.
- SpaceX has signaled it wants to retire Crew Dragon by 2030 to focus on Starship and Starlink.
- NASA needs a second reliable crew vehicle since Starliner's track record has been troubled.
Source: arstechnica.com, 2026-09-17
Published there as: “After being sidelined, Boeing's Starliner to get starring role in NASA's spaceflight plans”
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