Boeing Starliner May Get a Bigger NASA Role Despite Leaving Crew Behind As SpaceX Looks Past Dragon, Says Report

NASA and Boeing are discussing 10 or more additional Starliner flights in the years ahead, the Wall Street Journal reported.

• Starliner last flew in June 2024 on its first crewed test, carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams to the International Space Station. 
• The vehicle returned without the astronauts after NASA decided the capsule was too risky for the return journey. 
• SpaceX’s Crew Dragon is Starliner’s only operational rival today, certified to carry astronauts to the space station from the U.S.

NASA is reportedly in talks with Boeing (BA) to give the Starliner vehicle a larger role after the capsule’s 2024 crew test left two astronauts on the International Space Station and the vehicle was grounded.

The discussions, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, point to a possible revival for a program that has cost Boeing more than $2 billion and still lacks a certification to carry humans to space.

BA stock closed up nearly 1% on Friday.

NASA Weighs Bigger Starliner Role

People familiar with the matter told the Journal that NASA and Boeing are discussing 10 or more additional Starliner flights in the years ahead. In November 2025, NASA and Boeing mutually agreed to modify the Commercial Crew contract, reducing the firm order from six missions to four, with two left as options, and designating the next flight as an uncrewed cargo mission. No fresh contract has been announced.

The 2024 Flight That Left Crew Behind

Starliner last flew in June 2024 on its first crewed test, carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams to the International Space Station on what was planned as an eight-day mission. Helium leaks and thruster failures during approach led NASA to decide the capsule was too risky to return. Starliner landed empty in New Mexico in September 2024. The astronauts came home in March 2025 on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon after about nine months in orbit. NASA later classified the flight as a Type A mishap, its most severe failure category. Certification may slip toward 2027, close to the station’s planned 2030 retirement.

What It Means For Boeing’s Space Unit

A larger NASA order would give Boeing’s space unit a path back into crewed transport after years of delays, charges, and talk of selling parts of the NASA portfolio. The company still has to fix the vehicle’s propulsion problems, complete an uncrewed return-to-flight, and, because United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket is retiring, certify a new rocket.

Boeing does not break out Starliner as its own segment. The capsule sits inside Defense, Space & Security, which posted $27.2 billion in 2025 revenue, about 30% of the company’s $89.5 billion total. That unit is mostly military aircraft, weapons, and satellites; civil crew transport is a small, loss-making slice. Starliner charges have already topped $2 billion on a fixed-price NASA deal now valued at about $3.7 billion.

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon is Starliner’s only operational rival today, certified to carry astronauts to the space station from the U.S. SpaceX has signaled it may phase Dragon out around 2030 as it shifts to Starship.

How Did BA Retail Traders React?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around BA stock jumped from ‘bullish’ to ‘extremely bullish’ over the past 24 hours, while message volume remained ‘high.’

“Talks only. The headline gives no signed deal, dollar value, mission count or timing, so it is a headline for the space program rather than a change to the numbers,” a Stocktwits user wrote.

BA stock has fallen 9% year-to-date. 

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