NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman formally declared the Boeing Starliner’s first crewed flight test a “Type A mishap” on Thursday, the agency’s most severe designation for incidents posing significant risk to life or substantial financial loss, following the release of a comprehensive investigation report. The report detailed a cascade of technical failures and management shortcomings that prolonged the mission and ultimately required astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to return to Earth in a SpaceX capsule.
The investigation, led by an independent team, found that inadequate testing and communication breakdowns contributed to the problems encountered during the June 5, 2024 launch and subsequent attempts to dock with the International Space Station. Helium leaks in the capsule’s propulsion system and multiple thruster malfunctions forced NASA to abandon plans for a standard eight-day mission. Wilmore and Williams ultimately spent 286 days in space, returning in March 2025 aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon.
Isaacman, who assumed his role in December 2025, delivered a blunt assessment of both NASA and Boeing’s performance. “We returned the crew safely, but the path we took did not reflect NASA at our best,” he stated at a news briefing. He acknowledged a “culture of mistrust” stemming from the incident and emphasized the need for accountability. The administrator also stated that NASA “permitted overarching programmatic objectives of having two providers capable of transporting astronauts to-and-from orbit, influence engineering and operational decisions.”
The report highlighted that while Boeing designed and built the Starliner, NASA bears responsibility for accepting the spacecraft and launching the crewed mission despite known issues. The agency’s desire to establish a second independent crew transportation system, alongside SpaceX, was cited as a factor influencing decisions made during and immediately after the launch.
Amit Kshatriya, NASA associate administrator, described the situation as nearly catastrophic, stating, “We almost did have a really terrible day.” He added, “We failed them,” referring to Wilmore and Williams. The investigation revealed that several technical issues were considered acceptable risks prior to flight, a decision now under intense scrutiny.
NASA has stated it will not authorize another crewed Starliner mission until the root causes of the technical problems are fully understood and corrected, the propulsion system is fully qualified, and the investigation’s recommendations are implemented. Isaacman affirmed the agency’s commitment to working with Boeing to address the issues, but stressed that safety remains the paramount concern. He also reiterated the importance of maintaining “sustained crew and cargo access to low Earth orbit” and the benefits of competition and redundancy in the space program.
The Starliner mission launched on June 5, 2024, and was intended to demonstrate Boeing’s capability to transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station. The subsequent difficulties led to weeks of testing and the decision to return the capsule to Earth without a crew. The investigation’s findings are expected to have significant implications for the future of the Commercial Crew Program and Boeing’s role within it.
