More than a month after Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft returned to Earth without its intended crew, NASA officials are working through technical hurdles that delayed Starliner’s first manned mission. Boeing has faced significant setbacks with Starliner’s development, which not only affects its role in NASA’s crew rotation program but also adds to Boeing’s financial challenges as the company considers its future in the space industry.
Boeing Starliner Spacecraft 2 approaching the ISS in May 2022, during Orbital Flight Test 2 Credit: NASA
Initially intended to carry NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams back to Earth, Starliner’s Crew Flight Test (CFT) concluded with an autonomous landing in New Mexico on Sept. 6 due to unresolved propulsion issues. The unplanned delays and the extended stay of Wilmore and Williams on the International Space Station (ISS) led to additional costs for both NASA and Boeing. Each delay required costly investigations, re-certifications, and operational adjustments that have compounded Boeing's existing financial strain in the Starliner program.
Boeing, which holds a NASA contract to conduct up to six ISS crewed missions by 2030, has reportedly incurred losses exceeding $1 billion on the Starliner program since development began. The capsule, which has faced thruster issues and other technical problems on previous uncrewed missions in 2019 and 2022, has required extensive adjustments and testing, adding unanticipated expenses. Boeing officials have expressed optimism about Starliner’s potential to serve ISS crew rotations, but the company has yet to establish a clear timeline for Starliner’s first operational mission, Starliner-1, originally slated for 2025 but now uncertain.
During a post-splashdown briefing for SpaceX’s Crew-8 mission, Richard Jones, deputy program manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program at Johnson Space Center, stated, "We’re just starting to understand how to correct and rectify the issues that are on the table. The schedules associated with how long, and what will be required in that area, are still in front of us.”
Boeing’s difficulties with Starliner have compounded broader challenges within its space and rocket business. The company has reportedly considered selling portions of its space division, including its rocket-building segment, as financial pressures mount. The sale of its rocket operations would mark a significant shift, as Boeing has long been a prominent player in the aerospace industry.
Analysts speculate that the potential sale could free up resources and allow Boeing to focus on its core commercial and defense aviation divisions. In recent years, Boeing has encountered fierce competition from SpaceX, which has successfully developed both crew and cargo spacecraft with far fewer setbacks. SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, which has become a reliable spacecraft for NASA’s crewed missions, was based on its existing Dragon cargo capsule, giving SpaceX a head start in the commercial space race. Starliner, meanwhile, was designed from scratch, leading to higher developmental costs and technical challenges.
Boeing’s financial challenges in the space sector are part of a broader struggle across the company’s divisions. In addition to the billion-dollar Starliner losses, Boeing has faced recent setbacks in its defense contracts and issues with its commercial airplane business, including the costly delays in its 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner programs. Analysts suggest that selling off portions of its space business could be a strategic move to streamline operations and bolster financial stability in its core divisions.
As Boeing and NASA continue investigating the thruster issues that hindered CFT, they aim to find a viable path for Starliner’s certification. NASA has expressed its ongoing commitment to working with Boeing, as the agency seeks to add Starliner as a long-term partner in ISS crew rotation missions alongside SpaceX. However, with Starliner’s timeline uncertain and Boeing’s potential divestment in its space operations, the future of Boeing’s role in NASA’s commercial crew program remains in flux.
For now, NASA is cautiously optimistic, continuing to troubleshoot Starliner’s performance and maintaining confidence that Starliner will eventually join Crew Dragon in NASA’s roster of reliable ISS crew transport options. However, Boeing’s financial stakes in the program make every delay and technical challenge increasingly consequential, as the company evaluates its place in the competitive and high-stakes commercial space industry.
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