SpaceX is retiring Crew Dragon in a few years, forcing NASA to rely on Boeing's Starliner as its replacement for crewed missions to low Earth orbit. Despite Starliner's troubled history—including a 2024 mission where two astronauts were stranded for nine months—NASA plans to order additional missions and fund fixes to the spacecraft. NASA has awarded SpaceX a $946 million contract for three more Crew Dragon missions through 2030, but will ultimately depend on Starliner becoming operational to maintain crewed access to space.