NASA intends to provide additional funding and technical support to get Boeing (BA.US)'s Starliner flying again, after the spacecraft ran into a series of problems during its 2024 crewed mission.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said Starliner could return to the International Space Station as early as December, carrying cargo rather than astronauts at first. Crewed flights are not expected to resume until 2028, by which time Boeing and NASA will need to complete additional safety work.

That 2024 mission suffered multiple technical failures and was later classified by NASA as a Type A mishap, the agency's most serious accident category. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams subsequently spent about nine months aboard the International Space Station before returning to Earth on a SpaceX (SPCX.US) vehicle.

NASA estimates that upgrades to Starliner and certification of a new launch vehicle will cost the agency another $359 million. Planned changes include redesigned valves and seals.

For investors, NASA's decision to keep backing Starliner lowers the risk that Boeing's years of investment in the spacecraft will ultimately be abandoned, but repeated delays to the astronauts' return timeline also highlight how far the program still is from routine operations. Boeing has already taken substantial write-downs on Starliner, and further development costs, along with the timing of future NASA payments, are critical for investors.

There is also a strategic dimension to NASA keeping Boeing in the program. The agency has long sought two independent American systems for transporting astronauts into orbit, rather than relying entirely on SpaceX. That need could become more important as SpaceX eventually shifts resources away from Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon toward the larger Starship.

Starliner's longer-term opportunity may extend beyond the International Space Station, which is scheduled to retire around 2031. Several companies are developing private orbital stations that may need crew transportation services in the future. For Boeing, however, entering that market depends first on proving Starliner can fly safely and reliably.