NASA has said the botched 2024 Starliner mission, which left two astronauts stranded in space for nine months, was a “Type A” mishap – at the same level assigned to the fatal 2003 Columbia and 1986 Challenger space shuttle disasters. The category is reserved for incidents causing more than $2m in damage, the loss of a vehicle or its control, or deaths. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman sharply criticized Boeing and NASA leadership for their handling of the mission during a news conference timed with the release of a 300-page report that detailed communication breakdowns and “unprofessional behavior” as the agency and its longtime contractor struggled to agree on how to safely return the crew to Earth. “We returned the crew safely, but the path we took did not reflect NASA at our best,” Isaacman said.
