NASA Labels Starliner Test a Type A Mishap After Near Disaster

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced on Thursday that the agency's first crewed Boeing Starliner flight counts as a Type A mishap, the worst kind, because of thruster failures that put two astronauts at serious risk during their trip to the International Space Station in June 2024. The spacecraft lost control for a time as it neared the station, and NASA admits it made errors in how it oversaw Boeing's work, letting program goals override safety checks.

Background

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft aimed to give NASA a second way to send astronauts to the space station, alongside SpaceX's Crew Dragon. NASA picked Boeing and SpaceX back in 2014 to build these vehicles under the Commercial Crew Program. Starliner had already flown without people and run into problems, like software glitches that kept it from docking properly. Still, NASA cleared it for a test with a crew.

Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore lifted off on June 5, 2024, from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The plan was an eight-to-ten day trip to test the spacecraft and bring them back. But right away, several thrusters stopped working as the craft headed to the station. For a short time, Starliner lost what engineers call six degrees of freedom control, meaning it could not hold its position or path in space the way it should.

Crew members and ground teams worked to fix the issues. They got enough thrusters back online to dock with the station. No one got hurt, and the astronauts stayed aboard for tests. NASA kept extending their time there, first for weeks, then months, as teams studied the problems. In the end, NASA decided Starliner was too risky to bring them home. The craft returned empty on September 6, 2024, landing safely in New Mexico despite more propulsion trouble during reentry. Williams and Wilmore spent nine months on the station and came back on a SpaceX Crew Dragon in March 2025. Both have since left NASA.

Key Details

The independent investigation team finished its report in November 2025, after NASA set it up in February of that year. They looked at why the thrusters failed and what went wrong overall. The report lists hardware problems, like parts that were not tested enough for flight. Boeing's design let the propulsion system run outside safe limits, which broke rules for crewed missions.

NASA's own role came in for heavy criticism. The agency did not keep close enough watch on Boeing's development. Leaders pushed too hard to get Starliner certified quickly, to have two providers ready. This skewed decisions during and right after the flight. Instead of calling it a Type A mishap at first, NASA held back because of worries about the program's image.

A Type A mishap is the top level. It covers events that could cause death or lasting injury, cost over $2 million in damage, or lead to loss of a spacecraft. Starliner's loss of control and the money spent fit that. During a news conference, NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya said the mission came close to ending badly.

“This was a really challenging event in our recent history. We almost did have a really terrible day.” – Amit Kshatriya, NASA Associate Administrator

Isaacman sent a letter to all NASA staff, making the point clear.

“At that moment, had different decisions been made, had thrusters not been recovered, or had docking been unsuccessful, the outcome of this mission could have been very, very different.” – Jared Isaacman, NASA Administrator

Leadership and Culture Issues

The report points to breakdowns in how leaders acted. At Boeing, teams did not fully grasp the thruster risks before launch. At NASA, staff felt the agency avoided blame. One worker said NASA took no responsibility early on, even though it owned the program. This built mistrust between teams. Isaacman said program goals overrode safety, and that will not happen again. NASA plans to hold leaders accountable.

Teams from NASA and Boeing keep working on the root causes of the thruster failures. They have made some fixes, but more testing is needed before Starliner flies crew again.

What This Means

NASA now accepts the report as final and will use its lessons for all future flights, not just Starliner. The agency lists steps to fix oversight gaps, improve testing, and balance program needs with safety. Boeing must address its design flaws and show the propulsion system meets standards.

Starliner sits ready for an uncrewed cargo test to the station, maybe as soon as April 2026. No date is set, and it won't carry people until problems are solved. The space station retires in 2030, so time is short for Starliner to prove itself there. But NASA sees uses for it after that, like other missions.

This mishap label corrects the record. Early on, NASA downplayed the issues to speed certification. Now, with the truth out, both companies face pressure to get it right. Congress will hear from the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel soon about the findings. Williams and Wilmore stayed calm during the long stay, but the close call shows the risks in human spaceflight.

The event highlights why NASA wants two crew vehicles. SpaceX has flown astronauts reliably since 2020. Starliner's troubles mean NASA relies more on that option for now. Fixing these issues could still make Starliner a key player, but trust must be earned back through actions.

Boeing has spent billions on Starliner, with NASA paying over $4 billion in contracts. The extra costs from this mission add up, but the focus stays on safety. NASA says it will only fly Starliner when ready, no shortcuts.

Workers on the ground and in space pulled together to save the day. Thrusters came back just in time, and docking worked. But the report warns that luck played a part. Future missions will have stricter checks to avoid repeats.

As NASA pushes deeper into space, from the moon to Mars, lessons from Starliner apply everywhere. Clear oversight, full testing, and owning mistakes keep crews safe. The agency works with Boeing to make changes, aiming for reliable flights ahead.