Overview
- The NASA Office of the Inspector General released a report on June 30 that found persistent helium leaks, reaction‑control/propulsion (thruster) failures and parachute anomalies remained unresolved as of March 2026 and are blocking Starliner’s human‑rating certification.
- The OIG recommended six fixes and NASA agreed to all of them, including delaying some Boeing payments until certification is complete, documenting and resolving about 100 Crew Flight Test anomalies in NASA’s mishap system, and getting access to Boeing flight‑simulation data.
- NASA has converted the next Starliner mission to an uncrewed cargo flight and must buy extra crew seats from SpaceX to keep the ISS fully staffed, a change the inspector general estimated will add roughly $300 million and that included a $17 million payment to accelerate Crew Dragon flights.
- The audit faulted Boeing and NASA for overconfidence in heritage systems, unrealistic schedules, limited simulation oversight and a 21‑month delay before classifying the 2024 Crew Flight Test as a Type A mishap, saying those failures slowed problem resolution.
- The report warns certification may not be achieved until 2027, which would squeeze the time Starliner could provide crew rotations before the ISS’s planned 2030 retirement and raise risks around launch slots, docking access and crew training timelines.