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What the headline gets right—and what it gets wrong
The comparison is about NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which funded private spacecraft to transport astronauts to the ISS. Both vehicles were intended to provide that service, while NASA bought transportation through contracts and the companies owned and operated their spacecraft.
Starliner did not leave its astronauts stranded in space indefinitely: NASA returned the spacecraft without them in 2024, and the two crew members came home aboard a SpaceX vehicle in March 2025. Nor does the available record support saying Crew Dragon works “perfectly.” It has completed crewed missions, but that is not the same as having no faults or risks. The meaningful difference is the demonstrated record and certification status described below.
How much did NASA contract to pay each company?
NASA awarded the initial fixed-price Commercial Crew contracts in 2014. The figures below are the award values reported by NASA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) in 2026, not a complete accounting of every later program expense.
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| Measure | Boeing Starliner | SpaceX Crew Dragon |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 NASA fixed-price contract award | $4.2 billion (NASA OIG, 2026) | $2.6 billion (NASA OIG, 2026) |
| Initial-award comparison | Boeing’s award was about 1.6 times SpaceX’s, based on $4.2 billion divided by $2.6 billion—not exactly twice the amount. | |
| Later combined contract value | More than $8 billion after modifications and additional resources, according to NASA OIG (2026). This figure excludes several billion dollars of additional resources. | |
So “twice as much” is a loose headline, not a single audited ratio. The straightforward comparison is between the 2014 awards; later totals depend on what modifications and resources are counted. NASA OIG also reported that NASA spent an additional $17 million to accelerate SpaceX flights that had originally been planned for Starliner.
Why Starliner’s 2024 test flight lasted 93 days
Launch and propulsion problems
Starliner launched on June 5, 2024, for a crewed test originally planned to last eight to 14 days. Propulsion anomalies extended the mission. NASA ultimately chose to return the spacecraft without its crew rather than use it for their trip home.
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- FROM STEEL SHEETS TO 3D – Pop out the pieces and connect using tabs and holes. Includes illustrated instructions.
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Separate returns for the spacecraft and astronauts
Starliner landed at White Sands Space Harbor in September 2024 after a 93-day mission. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams remained on the ISS and returned to Earth aboard SpaceX’s Crew-9 in March 2025. In its February 19, 2026 release, NASA formally classified the test as a Type A mishap, its most serious mishap category.
NASA’s investigation attributed the risk conditions to a combination of hardware failures, qualification gaps, leadership missteps and cultural breakdowns. It issued 61 corrective recommendations for future crewed Starliner missions. Those recommendations are an investigation outcome, not proof that every issue has been fixed.
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Is Starliner certified, and how does its record compare with Crew Dragon?
As described in NASA OIG’s 2026 review, Crew Dragon and its Falcon 9 launch vehicle received human-rating certification in 2020. Crew Dragon had completed 12 crewed missions by the time of that review. Boeing had not obtained human-rating certification for Starliner and Atlas V. NASA OIG estimated Starliner certification was likely no earlier than 2027.
The OIG review says Starliner flight tests exposed helium leaks, propulsion failures and parachute anomalies. It also said Starliner-1 was planned as an uncrewed cargo flight before certification. That plan is distinct from a certified operational crew service; the estimate and plan reflect the 2026 review and should not be read as a guarantee of future dates or outcomes.
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What the comparison means for ISS access
Crew Dragon has provided NASA with a certified crew transport option and a record of completed crewed missions. Starliner’s intended role was to give NASA another provider, but its certification status and mishap investigation meant it was not yet an equivalent operational alternative in the 2026 OIG review. NASA’s use of SpaceX to return Wilmore and Williams followed the decision not to fly them home aboard Starliner; it was not evidence that Starliner had been permanently abandoned.
Having two providers is valuable as operational redundancy: if one system is unavailable, the other may help preserve access to the ISS. But redundancy depends on both systems being ready and certified for the mission, not merely on two spacecraft designs existing. For the status documented in the 2026 review, Crew Dragon had demonstrated that capability; Starliner still had certification work ahead.
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