Via mentourpilot.com
Boeing targets divestment of struggling space operations
The aerospace giant is looking to offload NASA-related space programs while doubling down on its satellite business as a core priority.
Boeing is moving to shed parts of its space portfolio. The company has been exploring divestment of segments tied to NASA, including the CST-100 Starliner crew capsule and its International Space Station support work.
The push to slim down Boeing’s space footprint is part of a broader operational reset under CEO Kelly Ortberg, who inherited a company bleeding money in its Defense, Space & Security division. The Wall Street Journal first reported Boeing’s interest in selling off NASA-related space operations on October 25, 2024.
Starliner’s long shadow
Boeing’s Starliner program has been dogged by delays and cost overruns for years. A crewed test flight finally took place in June 2024, but the program’s financial damage was already done.
The company is likely to hold onto its work on the Space Launch System rocket components, the heavy-lift vehicle NASA is using for its Artemis lunar program.
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What stays, what goes
In March 2025, Boeing’s Space Mission Systems vice president publicly described the satellite business as “core” and outlined significant investment plans running through the year.
Boeing’s most recent major divestment came in August 2026, when it sold three subsidiaries, Wisk Aero, Insitu, and SkyGrid, to Archer Aviation in an all-stock deal. None of those were space assets.
The fact that Boeing hasn’t yet completed a sale of significant space assets suggests the process is complicated. Government approvals, workforce transitions, and ongoing contractual obligations all need to be navigated.