NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman formally declared the Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test a Type A mishap on Thursday, citing technical difficulties encountered during docking with the International Space Station and acknowledging programmatic influences on engineering decisions. The declaration came during a press conference where NASA released the findings of a Program Investigation Team examining the mission, which launched on June 5, 2024.
The report detailed challenges faced throughout both Starliner’s uncrewed and crewed missions. Isaacman stated, “While Boeing built Starliner, NASA accepted it and launched two astronauts to space. The technical difficulties encountered during docking with the International Space Station were particularly apparent.” Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were aboard the Starliner during the June 2024 flight.
Isaacman emphasized the need for transparency and accountability, stating, “To undertake missions that change the world, we must be transparent about both our successes and our shortcomings. We have to own our mistakes and ensure they never happen again.” He further explained that NASA permitted overarching programmatic objectives – specifically, the desire to have two independent providers for astronaut transport to and from orbit – to influence engineering and operational decisions, particularly during and immediately following the mission.
The investigation found that NASA is “correcting those mistakes” and will not allow Starliner to return to flight until it is deemed ready. The Type A mishap designation signifies the most serious category of NASA failures and ensures leadership accountability, according to the released statement.
The news conference, held at 2 p.m. EST on Thursday, included participation from NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya. NASA streamed the event live on its YouTube channel, with an instant replay made available online. The agency requested media RSVP no later than 30 minutes prior to the start of the call to hq-media@mail.nasa.gov.
Boeing has stated it is working closely with NASA to ensure readiness for future Starliner missions. The Starliner spacecraft docked to the Harmony module’s forward port on July 3, 2024, as viewed from the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft.
