NASA and Boeing face fallout from botched astronaut mission.
In space, no one can hear you scream . . . about travel delays.
Two American astronauts have been stuck for two months on the International Space Station, on what was supposed to be a nine-day round trip.
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched on June 5 in the Starliner, a Boeing-built spacecraft that cost NASA $4.2 billion, expecting to return home on June 14.
However, multiple malfunctions, including five failed thrusters and helium leaks, made their landing on the ISS difficult. NASA and Boeing spent over 60 days troubleshooting to determine if Starliner could safely bring the astronauts back home.
Now, it appears they may be stranded until next year, with NASA considering the option of returning with the crew of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon in February.
The positive side is that the ISS is well-equipped, and the astronauts are as comfortable as can be while stranded in space.
The not-so-good news is that NASA and Boeing faced significant issues from the beginning of this mission.
Prior to the launch, Starliner displayed troubling signs.
Its first manned flight was delayed for years due to design flaws; NASA and Boeing detected a helium leak before the June 5 launch, but considered it minor and proceeded with the mission.
Clearly, that decision was a mistake.
It adds to Boeing’s troubles after incidents of doors and wheels falling off its aircraft mid-flight.
NASA’s reputation is also at stake as it seems to be repeating past mistakes that led to space shuttle disasters.
Furthermore, NASA and Boeing insisting that the astronauts are not “stuck” and could return on the Starliner if needed is believed to be a misleading statement to alleviate blame from the decision-makers involved.
Even the possibility of a SpaceX rescue indicates NASA’s doubts about the Starliner’s reliability to bring the astronauts back safely.
Boeing, having already incurred $1.6 billion in cost overruns on the Starliner project, seems concerned about losing to its SpaceX rivalry.
While supporting the space program and private sector involvement, this mission highlights not only engineering failures but also management shortcomings.
NASA needs to be held accountable for this incident. If it still trusts Boeing to build equipment for missions to Mars, there are serious concerns to address.
Congress should investigate, and NASA’s decision-making process must undergo scrutiny by experts in rocket science and management.
Humanity’s space exploration future is crucial and should not be entrusted to those who have encountered repeated failures.
