Boeing's Calamity Capsule gets another shot at the ISS taxi business
Starliner-1 could fly by January, with astronauts to follow by 2028 if all goes well
Boeing's Starliner, also known as the Calamity Capsule, is set to resume flights to the International Space Station (ISS) by 2028. Initially planned for a crewed mission in April 2026, the first uncrewed Starliner-1 is now scheduled for December 2026 to January 2027. The subsequent crewed Starliner-2 is expected to launch around 2028.
NASA has also retained options for two additional flights to and from the ISS. The revised Starliner contract, reduced from six to four missions in 2025, has seen multiple delays and setbacks since its 2014 inception. In 2024, a crewed flight ended in failure, with the capsule returning to Earth empty due to safety concerns. While SpaceX's proven Crew Dragon remains essential for ISS access, Boeing's Starliner faces an uncertain future.
However, the program's continued operation may be justified by maintaining US crew transportation capability as ISS transitions to commercial stations and as other commercial space ventures emerge.
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