Boeing reported on continuing losses under the program for providing commercial flights to the ISS. In 2024, support for the Starliner ship project brought the company losses of $ 523 million. The company also warned that there was a risk of loss of losses, and hope to still put Starliner into operation continues to melt.
Image source: NASA
The other day, Boeing sent to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) the so-called 10-k form, from which it became known about the cost of the Starliner project. The form is submitted annually and in this case covers 2024. In 2023, the company gave a forecast that the project losses in 2024 would not exceed $ 288 million. This amount was withdrawn from losses due to problems with the capsule parachute and with delays with sending the first crew on board the ship.
Unfortunately for the company, the first Starliner mission with astronauts on board ended in failure. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams were stuck on the ISS until April 2025, and the ship returned to the ground empty, since a number of suits with the ship not have a threat to people on board. Delays with the schedule, certification problems, high testing and additional costs led to an increase in losses in 2024 to $ 523 million.
Since the ISS will stop working after 2030, Starliner services for delivery to the commercial crews will be unnecessary. There are orders for the delivery of crews with other goals and, possibly, to commercial stations, if they appear by that time. But the next train and delays next for Starliner can scare away potential customers. In addition, the company has not yet certified the ship in NASA. When this happens, whether the ship will be another flight to the ISS, the flight will be unmanned or in manned mode – no one knows this today. Surely one can say only one thing – in the foreseeable future, Boeing will continue to lose money on this project.