NASA's new boss, Jared Isaacman, has labeled the botched 2024 Starliner mission, which stranded two astronauts in space for months, as one of the worst in the agency's history. This severe classification, known as a 'Type A' mishap, is reserved for incidents causing over $2 million in damage, loss of a vehicle or control, or deaths. The incident sparked global attention after the pilots were stuck for more than nine months in space before returning home last March. In a statement, Isaacman emphasized the need for accountability, stating, 'We are correcting those mistakes. Today, we are formally declaring a Type A mishap and ensuring leadership accountability so situations like this never reoccur.' NASA's 312-page report, which followed an independent investigation, highlighted hardware failures, leadership missteps, and cultural problems at Boeing, the company that built the Starliner. The report also pointed out poor engineering and a lack of oversight at Boeing, which extended the mission from eight to 14 days to a months-long ordeal for the test pilots, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore. The pair waited months on board the International Space Station before getting a lift from a SpaceX flight in March 2025. NASA has accepted the report and is taking corrective actions to address the findings, with Isaacman stating, 'While Boeing built Starliner, NASA accepted it and launched two astronauts to space. To undertake missions that change the world, we must be transparent about both our successes and our shortcomings. We have to own our mistakes and ensure they never happen again.'
