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	boeing.com/starliner
Specifications
Spacecraft type	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) (Capsule and SM)[6]
Diameter	4.56 m (15 ft)[6]
Production
Status	Active
Built	3
Operational	2
Retired	1
Maiden launch	Uncrewed: December 20, 2019 Crewed: June 5, 2024
Related spacecraft
Launch vehicle	Atlas V N22[b]
Configuration
Exploded view of the Starliner A: Crew capsule, B: Service module 1: Nosecone, 2: Parachute compartment cover, 3: Crew access hatch, 4: RCS thrusters for re-entry, 5: Airbags, 6: Heat shield, 7: NASA Docking System, 8: Parachutes, 9: Window, 10: Umbilical, 11: Radiators, 12: "Doghouse" with RCS and OMAC thrusters, 13: Propellant tanks, 14: Roll control thruster, 15: RS-88 engines for launch escape, 16: Solar panels

The Boeing Starliner (or CST-100)^[c] 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 can remain 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.

In 2014, NASA awarded Boeing a US$4.2 billion fixed-price contract to build Starliner, while SpaceX received $2.6 billion to develop Crew Dragon. By October 2024, Boeing's effort had exceeded its budget by at least $1.85 billion.

Originally planned to be operational in 2017, Starliner has been repeatedly delayed by problems in management and engineering. The first uncrewed Orbital Flight Test in December 2019 was deemed a partial failure, leading to a second Orbital Flight Test in May 2022. During the Crew Flight Test, launched in June 2024, the Starliner's thrusters malfunctioned on approach to the ISS and NASA concluded that it was too risky to return its astronauts to Earth aboard the spacecraft, which landed uncrewed in September 2024.

Starliner costs more per flight than Crew Dragon, drawing criticism from NASA's inspector general and other observers.

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