Boeing's Starliner spacecraft could finally return to flight this year, according to comments from CEO Kelly Ortberg during a quarterly earnings call. This follows NASA's formal classification of the 2024 crewed Starliner mission as a serious "Type A" mishap, after propulsion system failures stranded astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunny Williams at the International Space Station, forcing their return via a SpaceX Crew Dragon in early 2025. A successful launch would mark a significant step for Boeing, which has been working to remediate the vehicle's problems before it can fly again.

Ortberg said the redesign of Starliner's deficiencies, mainly involving its propulsion system, was "going quite well", with the main remaining obstacle being scheduling a cargo flight with NASA rather than technical issues, contingent on docking port and crew availability at the space station. A successful cargo test could pave the way for a crewed mission in late 2027. Boeing has already taken around $2 billion in charges due to Starliner delays under its fixed-price 2014 Commercial Crew contract with NASA, and further delays would add to those losses. The development comes as SpaceX has indicated it plans to retire its Crew Dragon vehicle by 2030, raising questions about future crew transport options for NASA and private space stations.