NASA has confirmed that two astronauts nearly died during the Boeing Starliner test flight in June 2024. The US space agency this week released a 300-page study showing that thrust problems caused the spacecraft to lose control during its first crewed mission to the International Space Station.
The incident was classified as a “type A accident”. NASA’s most serious safety category. The NASA Starliner report details how astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams manually intervened to prevent disaster.
What went wrong during the Starliner mission?
The Boeing-built capsule suffered multiple propulsion system failures shortly after launch. Engineers later discovered helium leaks and control problems that threatened the spacecraft’s stability. Top NASA official Amit Kshatriya said, “We almost had a really terrible day.”
The report identified three main problems, including hardware defects, failed leadership decisions, and communications breakdowns between NASA and Boeing. Researchers determined that the spacecraft was not properly prepared for its planned crewed flight. The Boeing Starliner’s safety failure is now being compared to previous NASA missions that posed major dangers, despite the fact that no one was killed during the incidents.
Why did Starliner return without astronauts?
NASA decided the capsule was too risky to bring the crew home. In September 2024, the spacecraft returned to Earth without astronauts. Wilmore and Williams stayed aboard the ISS for 286 days before returning in March 2025 on a SpaceX Dragon capsule.
NASA chief Jared Isaacman made a public statement questioning previous leadership practices because he believes organizations must address their fundamental cultural issues to ensure the safety of astronauts. Boeing will fly an unmanned Starliner mission in 2026 to evaluate the system improvements.
