58-year-old Suni Williams and 61-year-old Butch Wilmore are the first crew to fly in the Starliner capsule, but it may not be used again as experts fear that it is unsafe for them to use it for their return to Earth.
In that case, they will be forced to come back on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon next February, stretching their eight-day mission into a nine-month fiasco. The crew has already been stuck at the ISS for more than 60 days, and NASA sent them a shipment of food and new clothing via a SpaceX rocket this week.
Boeing’s abysmal track record for quality control was on full display when the Starliner’s propulsion system experienced issues so concerning that many doubt it can bring the astronauts back to our planet safely. A spokesperson for the company said that should NASA decide not to bring the astronauts home on the Starliner, they “will take the actions necessary to configure Starliner for an uncrewed return.”
NASA has reportedly been in discussions with SpaceX to keep two of the seats in its upcoming Crew Dragon launch empty so the astronauts can return home on the craft. The launch of the Crew Dragon was delayed this week from mid-August to some time after September 24.
If the astronauts do come back on a SpaceX craft, it will be a huge blow for Boeing’s already damaged reputation amid high-profile failures in commercial jets and its ongoing struggle to remain competitive with the Crew Dragon. It would also cut short the Starliner’s first human space flight test, casting doubt on the spacecraft’s chances of becoming operational in the future.
The Starliner has already been docked to the International Space Station for 63 days; 90 is the maximum it is allowed to stay, and it’s currently parked at the port the Crew Dragon will need to use when it arrives with a new astronaut crew.
Boeing insists its Starliner is safe, but NASA isn't so sure
Boeing insists its craft is safe, stating on August 2 that its “confidence remains high in Starliner’s return with crew.”
They say that rigorous ground tests have revealed that the abrupt malfunctioning of thrusters and helium leaks are behind the issues.
However, NASA leaders and Boeing are believed to have had some major disagreements about whether Starliner was fit to return the astronauts, with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program objecting to a plan that would see the agency accepting Boeing’s testing data and letting the astronauts come home on the craft.
NASA Space Operations Chief Ken Bowersox said: “We heard from a lot of folks that had concerns, and the decision was not clear.”
Officials say they will make a decision about how to move forward by the middle of this month.
University of Southern California Astronautics Professor Mike Gruntman said: “It is highly unfortunate that Boeing's Starliner, after so much delay with its flight, continues to face problems. For decades, Boeing was one of the most admired aerospace and defense companies. It is a true national tragedy.”
The company has already lost at least $3 billion as a result of problems with its commercial jets, including mechanical issues and turbulence. They’ve also racked up $1.6 billion in losses since 2016 on their Starliner, including $125 million on the current test mission.
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