Boeing (BA.US) spent many years to avoid being “lost”: NASA spent another 359 million US dollars to “save” the interstellar passenger ship and return to the space station as early as December

The Zhitong Finance App learned that NASA plans to provide additional funding and technical support to allow the Boeing (BA.US) Starliner (Starliner) to fly again — previously this spacecraft was in frequent condition during manned missions in 2024. NASA Director Jared Isaacman said that the Starliner could return to the International Space Station as early as December, initially carrying cargo rather than astronauts. Manned flights are not expected to resume until 2028, at which time Boeing and NASA will have to complete more safety work.

The 2024 mission suffered from multiple technical failures and was later classified by NASA as a “Type A mishap” (Type A mishap) — the agency's most serious accident level. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunie Williams then stayed on the International Space Station for about 9 months and eventually returned to Earth aboard the SpaceX (SPCX.US) spacecraft.

NASA expects that the upgrading of the Starliner and certification of the new launch vehicle will cost the agency an additional $359 million. Planned changes include redesigned valves and seals.

For investors, NASA's decision to continue to support the Starliner reduced the risk of Boeing investing in this spacecraft for many years and eventually being abandoned; however, repeated delays in the astronauts' return to the team also highlighted how far the project is from normalized operation. Boeing has already calculated huge depreciation on the Starliner. Further R&D costs and the timing of future NASA payments are critical for investors.

There are also strategic considerations for NASA to keep Boeing in the project. The agency has long sought to have two separate orbital transportation systems for American astronauts rather than rely entirely on SpaceX. As SpaceX eventually shifts resources from Falcon 9 and the manned Dragon spacecraft to larger starships, this demand is likely to become even more important.

The Starliner's long-term opportunities may extend beyond the International Space Station — the latter is scheduled to be decommissioned around 2031. A number of companies are developing private orbital space stations, and manned transportation services may be needed in the future. However, as far as Boeing is concerned, it is necessary to first prove that Starliner can fly safely and reliably in order to enter this market.