NASA scaled back its plans for Boeing’s (BA) Starliner capsule, reducing the number of scheduled trips to the International Space Station after last year’s troubled test mission and as the ISS approaches the end of its operational life.
The original agreement called for six crewed rotations to and from the station, each lasting several months. NASA said Monday that the agency and Boeing (BA) have reworked the contract so that Starliner is now committed to four missions, with two additional flights available at NASA’s discretion.
Starliner’s next trip to the ISS is set for April 2026. Unlike the crew-carrying missions envisioned under the initial plan, that flight will be a cargo-only run intended to confirm recent upgrades to the spacecraft. If the vehicle performs as expected, the following three missions are slated to transport astronauts.