NASA has released an extensive internal review of Boeing’s problematic Starliner crew flight, revealing significant engineering shortcomings, strained communication and emotionally charged disputes that unfolded while two astronauts remained in orbit for nine months.
The nearly 300-page report examines what went wrong during Starliner’s first crewed test mission and criticizes both technical execution and leadership decisions that shaped the agency’s response as the situation escalated. The spacecraft’s malfunctions ultimately led NASA to return the crew to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule rather than on the Boeing vehicle that carried them to space.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the investigation uncovered concerns that extend beyond hardware flaws. In a letter to agency employees released alongside the report, he warned that decision-making processes and leadership culture posed deeper risks than the spacecraft’s mechanical issues. According to the findings, internal disagreements were sometimes handled in ways that undermined effective crisis management and collaboration.
