Boeing Starliner

Boeing Starliner

Boeing Starliner Spacecraft 2 approaching the ISS in May 2022, during Orbital Flight Test 2
Manufacturer	Boeing Defense, Space & Security
Country of origin	United States
Operator	Boeing Defense, Space & Security
Applications	ISS crew transport
Website	https://www.boeing.com/space/starliner
Specifications
Spacecraft type	Crewed capsule
Payload capacity	To ISS: 4 crew and 100 kg (220 lb) cargo[3][a]
Crew capacity	Up to 7
Volume	11 m3 (390 cu ft)[5]
Regime	Low Earth orbit
Design life	60 hours (free flight)[1] 7 months (docked)[2]
Dimensions
Length	5.03 m (16.5 ft) (CM and SM)[6]
Diameter	4.56 m (15 ft)[6]
Production
Status	Active
Built	3
Launched	2
Retired	1
Maiden launch	December 20, 2019, 11:36:43 UTC (uncrewed)

The Boeing Starliner (or CST-100)^[b] is a spacecraft designed to transport crew to and from the International Space Station (ISS) and other low-Earth-orbit destinations. Developed by Boeing under NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP), it consists of a reusable crew capsule and an expendable service module.

Slightly larger than the Apollo command module or SpaceX Crew Dragon, but smaller than the Orion capsule, the Starliner can accommodate a crew of up to seven, though NASA plans to fly no more than four. It is capable of remaining docked to the ISS for up to seven months and is launched on an Atlas V N22 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 41 in Florida.

Selected by NASA in 2014, Boeing received a fixed-price contract worth US$4.2 billion to develop Starliner for the CCP, while SpaceX received $2.6 billion to develop Crew Dragon. Despite receiving significantly more funding, Boeing has faced substantial budget overruns, exceeding $1.5 billion.

Originally planned to be operational in 2017, the Starliner project has encountered delays, management issues, and engineering challenges. The first unmanned Orbital Flight Test in December 2019 was deemed a partial failure, leading to a second Orbital Flight Test in May 2022. The Crew Flight Test, launched in June 2024, experienced malfunctions–leaking helium and outage of five of the eight aft-facing reaction control system thrusters–on approach to the ISS, leading NASA to conclude that it was too risky to return its astronauts to Earth aboard Starliner.

The price paid per flight has also drawn criticism from NASA's inspector general and from observers who point to significantly lower costs on the competing Crew Dragon.

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