In a significant decision, NASA has opted to return two astronauts from the International Space Station (ISS) on a SpaceX vehicle, citing serious concerns with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. This move marks a critical moment for both NASA and Boeing, highlighting the ongoing challenges facing the aerospace giant.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, both seasoned veterans and former military test pilots, embarked on their mission to the ISS aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule in June.
Originally intended as a brief eight-day test mission, the journey has been plagued by a series of technical failures that have cast doubt on the spacecraft’s reliability.
Within the first 24 hours of the mission, Starliner’s propulsion system experienced a cascade of problems. Five out of 28 thrusters failed, and multiple helium leaks were detected—helium being critical for pressurizing the thrusters. These issues triggered months of delays as Boeing struggled to diagnose and rectify the malfunctions.
SpaceX to the rescue
Given the unresolved technical challenges, NASA has made the unprecedented decision to utilize SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft to bring Wilmore and Williams back to Earth. The two astronauts are now expected to return in February 2025, on a Crew Dragon vehicle scheduled to launch next month as part of a routine astronaut rotation mission.
To accommodate the NASA crew, two seats on the Crew Dragon will remain vacant for Wilmore and Williams. Meanwhile, Starliner will return to Earth autonomously, without any crew on board, attempting the same reentry that was initially planned with astronauts.
A setback for Boeing’s Starliner program
This decision is a significant setback for Boeing, which has been working for years to develop Starliner as a competitor to SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. The program has faced numerous hurdles, including a failed uncrewed test in 2019 and a partial success in a 2022 retest, where similar thruster issues emerged. The June mission was supposed to be the final test before NASA certified Starliner for routine crewed missions.
Despite Boeing’s efforts to address the technical problems, including extensive ground testing and simulations, the company has been unable to convince NASA of Starliner’s safety for a crewed return trip—a critical and complex phase of the mission.
Boeing’s broader challenges
The Starliner issues add to the mounting difficulties facing Boeing’s new CEO, Kelly Ortberg, who took the helm earlier this month with a mandate to restore the company’s reputation. Boeing has also been grappling with quality control issues in its commercial aircraft division, most notably when a door panel blew off a 737 MAX passenger jet in midair in January.
As NASA moves forward with SpaceX for this critical mission, the future of Boeing’s Starliner program remains uncertain, leaving its path to certification in jeopardy.