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NASA Releases Starliner Test Findings, Declares Type A Mishap

The agency says the designation reflects severe risk exposure plus a commitment to corrective action before any future Starliner flight.

Overview

  • NASA published the Program Investigation Team’s report and, at a news conference, formally classified Boeing’s 2024 Crew Flight Test as a Type A mishap.
  • Investigators cited a combination of hardware failures, qualification gaps, leadership missteps, and cultural breakdowns that produced risk outside NASA human spaceflight safety standards.
  • Administrator Jared Isaacman said NASA’s goal of maintaining two crew transport providers influenced engineering and operational calls, with leadership accountability now underway.
  • Launched June 5, 2024, the mission extended to 93 days after propulsion anomalies; NASA ordered an uncrewed return, and Starliner landed at White Sands Space Harbor in September 2024.
  • Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams returned in March 2025 aboard SpaceX Crew-9, as NASA and Boeing continue root-cause work and implement corrective actions before the next Starliner flight, with a redacted report now posted online.