NASA has announced its intent to add six post-certification missions to SpaceX's commercial crew contract on a sole-source basis, ordering up to three of those missions at the time of addition.
The extension covers missions through Crew-14, currently flying through fall 2027. The new missions would provide coverage through late 2030, when the ISS is slated for retirement.
Reasons for the Extension
NASA cited several factors for the decision:
- SpaceX is the only NASA-certified crew transportation system for ISS missions.
- Shortened ISS mission durations.
- Technical issues and schedule delays encountered by Boeing.
- Allocation of missions between Boeing and SpaceX.
- Projections for when an alternative crew transportation system may become available.
- Ongoing technical challenges of maintaining reliable crew capability.
Background on Boeing
- Boeing's CST-100 Starliner has not yet been certified for crewed flights.
- In November 2024, NASA and Boeing modified their contract, reducing missions from six to four, including Starliner-1, with options for two more.
- Starliner-1 was anticipated in 2024 but was not on a recent NASA manifest.
Mission Duration Change
NASA had planned to extend crew rotations to eight months but is retaining six-month missions to maximize ISS utilization in its final years.
The six additional missions equate to three years of operations at one mission per six months. NASA previously stated the last crewed mission would likely spend a year at the station.