Boeing’s Starliner program is in troubled waters, with the company now reporting $2 billion in losses since 2019. The latest hit came in the fourth quarter of 2024, adding $148 million to the tally. Despite this, Boeing remains tight-lipped about what’s next for the spacecraft.

The Starliner project, part of NASA’s commercial crew program, has been plagued by setbacks. Last year’s test flight was supposed to pave the way for operational crewed missions to the International Space Station (ISS). Instead, it faced issues like overheating thrusters and helium leaks. Although the capsule successfully delivered astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the ISS, NASA decided against letting Starliner bring them back. The astronauts are now set to return aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.

With NASA planning to retire the ISS by 2030, time is running out for Starliner to fulfill its six contracted crewed missions. So far, NASA has only approved three. Meanwhile, SpaceX has extended its commercial crew contract, further overshadowing Boeing’s efforts.

To steer the program out of its rough patch, Boeing has brought back former Starliner manager John Mulholland. Mulholland, who led the program from 2011 to 2020, is known for decisions that led to many of Starliner’s technical issues, including software glitches and propulsion system flaws.

As Boeing grapples with these challenges, one thing is clear: the future of Starliner remains uncertain. Will it fly again, and in what form? Only time will tell.