Boeing May Not Be Able to Operate Starliner Before Space Station Is Destroyed

Boeing may be running out of time quickly.

The clock is ticking

NASA officially decided over the weekend that it was too risky to bring back stranded astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore aboard Boeing’s stricken Starliner spacecraft.

This decision was a major blow to Boeing. After many years of development, the company had yet to successfully conduct a manned test flight.

It remains an open question whether the much-criticized capsule will be able to safely transport a crew to and from the International Space Station.

That’s because NASA already plans to shut down the orbiting outpost in 2030 with SpaceX’s help, giving Boeing about five years to get its affairs in order — and it’s already been about five years since the company’s failed uncrewed test flight.

“Boeing will need to deal with the consequences of this mission failing to meet its test objectives,” says Todd Harrison, a veteran space industry expert. He said NPR.

Uphill battle

Rather than running out of time, Boeing may dispose of its crippled spacecraft long before the International Space Station is deorbited.

Harrison said NPR He added that he believes it is “fairly likely” that Boeing will choose to “step back” from the Starliner project “within a few weeks or months.”

“This program seems like something that doesn’t fit in with the rest of their business,” he added.

Boeing already has I lost a staggering $1.6 billion. About the development of Starliner. This is in addition to Get over $4 billion The amount of funding provided through NASA’s Commercial Crew Program in 2014.

Meanwhile, SpaceX has managed to do a lot with far less funding than the space agency, completing nearly a dozen crewed missions to the International Space Station.

One way to look at the situation is that NASA would have been out of luck if it hadn’t contracted with both SpaceX and Boeing to develop the spacecraft.

“If they had chosen just one provider, it would have been Boeing, because SpaceX was a risky prospect at the time,” space industry consultant Laura Forczyk said. He said New world“Therefore, this is a victory for the Commercial Crew Program.”

Boeing’s Starliner has been docked at the International Space Station since early June, and NASA has yet to announce a date for its uncrewed return — a journey that carries its own risks.

It’s also unclear when or if it will resume its space flights. So far, the company appears to be keeping all its options open.

“Boeing continues to focus, first and foremost, on the safety of the crew and the spacecraft,” a Boeing spokesperson said. Futuristic When asked if the Starliner project could be canceled, he said: “We are executing the mission as NASA has specified, and preparing the spacecraft for a safe and successful return without a crew.”

More about Starliner: Starliner is a real disaster that may push Boeing to cancel the entire project