NASA, in collaboration with Boeing, has made the decision to reduce the number of planned spaceflights for astronauts using the Starliner capsule from an initial six missions to just four. This change comes as part of the modifications to the existing $4.5 billion contract under NASA's Commercial Crew Program. According to statements from NASA, the last two flights that were originally part of the agreement will now be considered optional rather than mandatory. This announcement follows the successful return of astronauts from the Starliner's first crewed mission, albeit with significant challenges, which included the prolonged stay of astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

In November, NASA reported that after an eight-month mission, the astronauts had to return to Earth with SpaceX, as the Boeing Starliner faced numerous issues that prevented it from completing its mission reliably. Since then, Boeing engineers have been diligently working on addressing these concerns, focusing particularly on the Starliner's thrusters and propulsion system. NASA's commercial crew program manager, Steve Stich, indicated that rigorous testing continues to take place as they prepare for future flights.

The first of these upcoming missions, designated Starliner-1, is scheduled to occur no earlier than April 2026. This mission will serve as a cargo test run to the ISS and is still subject to further tests and certification processes. A successful cargo mission is crucial, as it will pave the way for subsequent crewed missions before the planned retirement of the ISS in 2030. The ongoing developments and the adjustment of the flight schedule mark significant steps in Boeing’s efforts, which have already cost the company over $2 billion since it began the program in 2016.

NASA's partnership with Boeing and SpaceX began in 2014, with SpaceX receiving a $2.6 billion contract that has already seen numerous successful missions, with its first astronaut launch taking place in 2020. In contrast, Boeing's Starliner has yet to see a crewed mission successfully complete its intended objectives. The future of the Starliner program depends heavily on resolving existing technical issues and ensuring all necessary testing is completed before human crews can safely travel to the ISS again.