Boeing's Starliner: A Rocky Road to Space
NASA Cuts Back on Starliner Flights
Boeing's Starliner spacecraft has faced numerous setbacks, leading NASA to reduce the number of planned flights to the International Space Station (ISS). Originally, Boeing was contracted for six crewed missions under a $4.5 billion deal. However, NASA has now scaled this back to just four missions, with two additional backup options.
Next Mission: Starliner-1
The upcoming Starliner-1 mission will not carry a crew. Instead, it will be a cargo run to the ISS, scheduled for no earlier than April 2026. This mission aims to test and validate the upgrades made to the spacecraft following its last failed attempt.
Issues During the First Crewed Mission
During Starliner's first crewed mission in June 2024, several problems arose:
- Five thrusters failed
- Five helium leaks occurred
NASA deemed it too risky to bring the astronauts back on the same spacecraft. Instead, SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft was used to return the crew. The empty Starliner eventually returned to Earth in September.
Reliance on SpaceX
Due to these issues, NASA has had to rely on SpaceX for its Crew-10, Crew-11, and upcoming Crew-12 missions. This was not the original plan. NASA intended to have multiple commercial partners for sending astronauts to space, but Boeing's Starliner has not met expectations.
The Future of Starliner
The ISS is set to retire by 2030, leaving little time for Boeing to prove itself. However, NASA is not ready to abandon the Starliner program. They still consider it crucial for maintaining a human presence in low Earth orbit.
