
Nasa boss says Boeing Starliner failure one of worst in its history
The agency released a critical report that puts the Starliner incident at same mistake level assigned to the fatal Columbia and Challenger shuttle disasters.
Coverage by Political Leaning
See how different sides of the spectrum reported this story
Notable Quotes
"We are correcting those mistakes. Today, we are formally declaring a Type A mishap and ensuring leadership accountability so situations like this never reoccur."
— Jared Isaacman , Executive
"While Boeing built Starliner, Nasa accepted it and launched two astronauts to space."
— Jared Isaacman , Executive
"This is just about doing the right thing. This is about getting the record straight."
— Jared Isaacman , Executive
"We have to own our part of this."
— Amit Kshatriya , Executive
"We almost did have a really terrible day."
— Amit Kshatriya , Executive
"This is about getting the record straight."
— Jared Isaacman , Executive
"The most troubling failure revealed by this investigation is not hardware, it's decision making and leadership."
— Jared Isaacman , Executive
"Had the incident been initially declared a Type A mishap, it would have immediately triggered an independent review."
— Jared Isaacman , Executive
"This was a really challenging event in our recent history."
— Amit Kshatriya , Executive
"It is worth restating what should be obvious: At that moment, had different decisions been made, had thrusters not been recovered, or had docking been unsuccessful, the outcome of this mission could have been very, very different."
— Jared Isaacman , Executive
"The most troubling failure revealed by this investigation is not hardware. It's decision-making in leadership that, if left unchecked, could create a culture incompatible with human space flight."
— Jared Isaacman , Executive
"Starliner has design and engineering deficiencies that must be corrected, but the most troubling failure revealed by this investigation is not hardware."
— Jared Isaacman , Executive
"We accepted the vehicle; we launched the crew to space. We made decisions from docking through postmission actions. A considerable portion of the responsibility and accountability rests here."
— Jared Isaacman , Executive
"The focus on proving Starliner's fitness for flight among some in NASA’s leadership caused a breakdown in culture, created trust issues."
— Jared Isaacman , Executive
"This is just about doing the right thing."
— Jared Isaacman , Executive
"We have to own our part of this."
— Amit Kshatriya , Executive
"Starliner has design and engineering deficiencies that must be corrected, but the most troubling failure revealed by this investigation is not hardware."
— Jared Isaacman , Executive
"They have so much grace, and they're so competent, the two of them. And we failed them. The agency failed them."
— Amit Kshatriya , Executive
Key People
NASA Associate Administrator who commented on the potential loss of life during the Starliner mission.
Bill Nelson is the current Administrator of NASA.
Butch Wilmore is a NASA astronaut known for his work on the International Space Station.
Former president of the United States known for his aggressive economic policies.
Jared Isaacman is the new head of NASA and an amateur jet pilot known for being the first non-professional astronaut to conduct a spacewalk.
Suni Williams is a NASA astronaut who has participated in multiple spaceflights.
Tags
All Coverage
The agency released a critical report that puts the Starliner incident at same mistake level assigned to the fatal Columbia and Challenger shuttle disasters.
An independent review of Boeing's Starliner mission concluded it was a 'Type A mishap' due to multiple technical problems and management failures. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman emphasized that no further crewed flights on Starliner will occur until all issues are resolved.
An independent report has reclassified Boeing's Starliner mission as a 'Type A mishap,' citing multiple technical failures and management issues that left astronauts stranded on the ISS. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman emphasized the need for leadership accountability and corrective actions.
NASA's independent review of the 2024 Boeing Starliner mission revealed a series of technical failures and management missteps that resulted in astronauts being stranded on the ISS. The mission has been reclassified as a 'Type A mishap,' highlighting the severity of the incident.
NASA has reclassified the Boeing Starliner mission as a 'Type A mishap,' aligning it with the severity of the Columbia and Challenger disasters. Administrator Jared Isaacman stated that leadership accountability is forthcoming and emphasized the need for transparency and correction of management missteps.
NASA has reclassified Boeing's first Starliner astronaut mission as a 'Type A mishap,' the most serious category, due to thruster failures and other technical issues that endangered the crew. Administrator Jared Isaacman stressed that no further crewed flights will occur until all problems are fully understood and corrected.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman criticized both Boeing and NASA leadership for mishandling the Starliner mission, which left astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams stranded on the International Space Station for over nine months. Isaacman declared the incident a 'Type A mishap,' equating it to past shuttle disasters.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman criticized Boeing and NASA leadership for the mishandled Starliner mission that left astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams stranded on the ISS for over nine months. The incident has been classified as a 'Type A mishap,' placing it in the same category as the Challenger and Columbia disasters.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman criticized both Boeing and NASA leadership for the mishandling of the Starliner mission, which left astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams stranded on the International Space Station for over nine months. Isaacman declared the incident a 'Type A mishap,' placing it in the same category as past shuttle disasters.
Similar Stories
Related coverage based on topic and tags
Rescue mission for aging NASA space telescope fails - Reuters
Rescue mission for aging NASA space telescope fails Reuters
August 19, 2026 at 08:14 PMAir India A320 briefly lost key flight controls during 300-foot drop, Airbus analysis shows - Reuters
Air India A320 briefly lost key flight controls during 300-foot drop, Airbus analysis shows Reuters
August 14, 2026 at 04:54 AMAdmiral praises USS Lincoln crew amid reports of worsening conditions during long deployment - Reuters
Admiral praises USS Lincoln crew amid reports of worsening conditions during long deployment Reuters
August 16, 2026 at 07:49 PMLandSpace nails rocket booster landing in first for China's private launchers - Reuters
LandSpace nails rocket booster landing in first for China's private launchers Reuters
August 18, 2026 at 11:59 PMHegseth says reports about poor conditions aboard carrier are misrepresented - Reuters
Hegseth says reports about poor conditions aboard carrier are misrepresented Reuters
August 13, 2026 at 05:29 PMUkraine says it hit Russian rocket centre linked to Starlink-style network - Reuters
Ukraine says it hit Russian rocket centre linked to Starlink-style network Reuters
August 15, 2026 at 12:19 PM