Boeing Starliner test flight labeled top-level mishap by NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Thursday released an investigation report regarding Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner crewed test flight. The report identified several critical issues, citing combined hardware failures, qualification gaps, leadership mistakes, and cultural breakdowns.

Together, these factors formed risk conditions that failed to meet NASA’s safety standards for human spaceflight.

The report stated that the spacecraft temporarily lost maneuverability as the crew approached the International Space Station (ISS). Due to this loss of control and the associated financial implications, NASA has officially classified the test flight as a “Type A mishap,” the highest severity level in the agency’s reporting system.

“The Boeing Starliner spacecraft has faced challenges throughout its uncrewed and most recent crewed missions,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said at a press conference. “The technical difficulties encountered during docking with the International Space Station were very apparent.”

“Today, we are formally declaring a Type A mishap and ensuring leadership accountability so situations like this never recur,” Isaacman added, noting that NASA will work closely with Boeing to implement corrective actions before returning the Starliner to flight.

Boeing’s Starliner capsule, carrying astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on its inaugural crewed test mission, launched on June 5, 2024. Initially scheduled to last eight to 14 days, the flight was extended to 93 days after unexpected propulsion system anomalies were discovered in orbit.

Ultimately, after reviewing flight data and conducting ground testing, NASA made the decision to return the Starliner to Earth uncrewed. The capsule landed safely in September 2024 at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico. Wilmore and Williams later returned to Earth aboard NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission in March 2025.

NASA established an independent Program Investigation Team in February 2025 to examine the technical, organizational, and cultural factors that contributed to the mission’s near-failure. The team concluded its comprehensive report in November 2025.

Currently, NASA and Boeing are resuming their technical root-cause investigation to pinpoint the exact programming errors and hardware malfunctions encountered during the flight.

NASA stated it is strictly implementing corrective actions to address these findings, ensuring the agency learns critical lessons to guarantee the safety of future Starliner missions and other programs.