Boeing Starliner Situation Is Worse Than We Think.... Musk Reacts
Engineers have been conducting these tests at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico, disassembling thrusters and inspecting them part by part to gather data.
The astronauts have been performing various maintenance tasks and scientific projects aboard the international space station during their extended stay. They also regularly return to the Starliner capsule to work through the thruster issues with engineers at ground control. Despite the delays, the astronauts have remained confident in the spacecraft’s ability to bring them home safely. However, the uncertainty and repeated extensions of their mission have raised concerns about the Starliner's reliability.
Most of us might think the problem with Boeing’s Starliner is about reputation, but there is a bigger issue at hand. The Starliner program has been costing millions of dollars for every day of delay. The company has reported additional losses of $125 million, bringing the total losses on the Starliner program to $1.6 billion. It's also important to think about the long-term implications. The long-term losses might be even bigger, potentially reaching billions. Future customers will be very skeptical about the Starliner. Imagine a customer who wants to launch astronauts: would they pick a company that failed to safely send and return astronauts, or a company as reliable as SpaceX, which has consistently completed its missions successfully? Of course, they would pick SpaceX. Even Musk commented on this, saying, "the world doesn't need another capsule."
The Starliner program was part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program which was initially expected to be a cornerstone in the return of American crewed spaceflights. Boeing was awarded a substantial contract of $4.3 billion to develop and operate the Starliner. In contrast, SpaceX was awarded $2.6 billion for its Crew Dragon development. Despite the higher funding, Boeing has faced more significant challenges and delays compared to SpaceX.
The goal was to end NASA’s reliance on Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft for international space station crew rotations. However, Boeing’s journey has been rocky.
Given the current situation, Boeing and NASA are exploring all possible options to safely return the astronauts. While the primary plan is to use the Starliner, contingency plans involving SpaceX’s Crew Dragon have been considered. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 has just returned to action after a two-week break due to a grounding caused by a failure, sparking optimism in the U.S. aerospace industry. However, the possibility of Dragon rescuing the Starliner crew presents a complicated scenario.
The idea of using SpaceX's Crew Dragon to rescue the astronauts currently aboard the Starliner is not only a logistical challenge but also a significant blow to Boeing’s reputation. Boeing and SpaceX have been rivals since NASA awarded them contracts under the Commercial Crew Program. SpaceX has successfully launched numerous missions since 2020, while Boeing has struggled with delays and technical issues. Relying on SpaceX for a rescue would be a further embarrassment for Boeing and a clear signal of their operational struggles.
NASA has not officially ruled out the possibility of using Crew Dragon. Steve Stich, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager, stated that they are considering all options, emphasizing that having two different systems (Starliner and Dragon) gives them flexibility. On the other hand, given the geopolitical tensions, seeking help from Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft is an unlikely option. Although Soyuz has been a reliable vehicle for decades, the current political climate makes this an undesirable and complex alternative. Additionally, the costs and logistics of coordinating with Roscosmos would add another layer of difficulty and potential delay.
NASA's current preference remains to bring the astronauts back using Starliner, provided the issues can be resolved.
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