Boeing has now accumulated losses exceeding $2 billion on its Starliner spacecraft, following a turbulent year in which the capsule’s first astronaut mission turned into a major challenge for NASA.
In a filing on Monday, Boeing disclosed that the Starliner program recorded charges of $523 million for 2024—its largest single-year loss to date.
The company emphasized that because Starliner operates under a fixed-price contract with NASA, “there is ongoing risk that similar losses may have to be recognized in future periods.”
Since NASA awarded Boeing a nearly $5 billion fixed-price contract in 2014 to develop Starliner, the program has reported financial losses nearly every year.
Starliner competes with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which has successfully flown 10 crewed missions for NASA using its Dragon capsules. Boeing’s first attempt at a crewed Starliner flight last summer faced setbacks when part of the capsule’s propulsion system malfunctioned.
Boeing Starliner Loss (Photo: Mega)While Starliner successfully transported astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station (ISS), NASA ultimately decided to return them using SpaceX early this year, leaving Starliner empty—a move that has since sparked political debate.
Neither Boeing nor NASA has provided a clear timeline or plan for resolving the propulsion issue.
Last week, Boeing confirmed that Starliner Vice President Mark Nappi is departing his role. John Mulholland, the company’s ISS program manager, will take over. Mulholland previously led the Starliner program from 2011 to 2020.
Nearly four months ago, NASA stated that it was keeping “windows of opportunity for a potential Starliner flight in 2025” but scheduled both of its crewed missions for the spring and late summer with SpaceX instead.
The agency further noted that “the timing and configuration of Starliner’s next flight will be determined once a better understanding of Boeing’s path to system certification is established.”
