NASA Classifies Boeing Starliner Failure as Severe as Challenger, Columbia Disasters

NASA has classified the 2024 test flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule as a “Type A mishap”—the agency’s most severe safety designation—placing it on par with the tragedies of the Space Shuttle Columbia and Challenger, and the Apollo 13 mission. The designation stems from a bungled flight that left two NASA astronauts unexpectedly stranded in space for nine months, and reveals significant failures in engineering, oversight, and leadership, according to a newly released report.

The February 19, 2026 report details a series of issues that arose shortly after Starliner’s launch on June 5, 2024, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. These included five helium leaks and five failures of the reaction control system (RCS) thrusters, forcing engineers to troubleshoot from the ground while astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams remained aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

A “Type A mishap,” as defined by NASA, involves incidents resulting in the death or permanent disability of a crewmember, loss of the spacecraft, or damages exceeding $2 million. The classification underscores the potential severity of the situation, despite the astronauts’ safe return.

Doomed From the Start

The problems with Starliner began shortly after reaching orbit. Engineers discovered the helium leaks and RCS thruster malfunctions, prompting extensive testing. Investigations revealed that Teflon seals within the thrusters likely became compromised due to heat during ascent, obstructing propellant flow. These tests stretched for months, extending Wilmore and Williams’ stay on the ISS far beyond the originally planned eight days.

NASA ultimately decided to return the Starliner capsule to Earth without a crew. The astronauts were retrieved by a SpaceX Dragon capsule on March 18, 2025, after a total of 286 days in space.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, sworn in on December 17, 2025, emphasized the gravity of the situation. “The most troubling failure revealed by this investigation is not hardware. It’s decision-making in leadership that, if left unchecked, could create a culture incompatible with human space flight,” he stated at a news conference. “To be clear, NASA will not fly another crew on Starliner until technical causes are understood and corrected.”

Isaacman further noted that the mission should have been classified as a Type A mishap as soon as the faulty thrusters put the crew in jeopardy, more than a year ago. “The record is now being corrected,” he added. “There will be leadership accountability.”

A History of Setbacks

Starliner was developed as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, a public-private partnership designed to restore U.S. Capability to launch astronauts into low Earth orbit following the retirement of the Space Shuttle program in 2011. However, the program has been plagued by delays and cost overruns. As of last year, Boeing had reportedly lost approximately $2 billion on the Starliner project.

The report’s findings highlight inadequate testing, breakdowns in communication, and leadership failings on both sides—Boeing and NASA. Despite these criticisms, NASA intends to continue working with Boeing to address the issues and eventually resume crewed flights. A cargo-only Starliner mission to the ISS is currently planned for as early as April.

Boeing serves as the prime contractor for the core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS), which is used in NASA’s Artemis missions to the Moon. This adds further scrutiny to Boeing’s performance and reliability as NASA prepares for its next major lunar exploration endeavors.

Isaacman concluded by stressing the importance of learning from failures. “Pretending unpleasant situations did not occur teaches the wrong lessons,” he said. “Failure to learn invites failure again and suggests that, in human spaceflight, failure is an option. It is not.”