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NASA’s Decision to Abort Starliner Mission Sparks Tensions with Boeing
Over the weekend, NASA was faced with a challenging situation regarding two astronauts, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who were stranded due to complications with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. In a decisive move, NASA opted to return the astronauts aboard a SpaceX spacecraft scheduled for next year, leaving the Starliner to return empty.
The Starliner encountered significant thruster malfunctions prior to and during its mission to the International Space Station (ISS). This prompted NASA to seek alternative means to ensure the safety of its crew, ultimately leading to the decision that has ruffled feathers at Boeing.
The fallout from this decision was reportedly intense among Boeing executives. According to a report from the New York Post, there were heated discussions with tensions running high as Boeing representatives expressed their dissatisfaction with NASA’s choice. An anonymous source described the atmosphere in meetings where “yelling and arguing” ensued.
The source highlighted the differing perceptions of responsibility surrounding the astronauts’ safety: “Boeing wasn’t happy. And they made that perfectly clear to us. But what’s the headline if there’s a catastrophic failure? It’s not ‘Boeing killed two astronauts,’ it’s ‘NASA killed two astronauts.’ So no, it’s better safe than sorry.”
Despite the mounting pressures, Mark Nappi, head of Boeing’s Commercial Crew Program, maintained a composed stance in communication with employees. In an email, he recognized the disappointment but reiterated Boeing’s commitment to align with NASA’s priorities for crew safety. “I know this is not the decision we had hoped for, but we stand ready to carry out the actions necessary to support NASA’s decision,” he stated.
Nappi expressed confidence in the team, asserting they would ensure a safe and successful uncrewed return of Starliner. However, the sentiment within Boeing seems strained; one employee described the atmosphere as “humiliated” in the wake of the news, recalling the series of challenges the company has faced recently. “This just made it, like, 100 times worse,” the employee said.
The situation has evidently created rifts between NASA and Boeing, one of its key contractors. According to a NASA insider, both parties held contradictory views on the Starliner’s condition for a crewed return: “Boeing was convinced that the Starliner was in good enough condition to bring the astronauts home, and NASA disagreed. Strongly disagreed.”
The implications of this incident for Boeing are significant. There are concerns about the future of the Starliner program itself, with speculations that Boeing may abandon the project. Some experts remark that if Boeing intends to persevere, the company must expedite its efforts, especially with the ISS on schedule to be decommissioned in about five years.
On September 6, NASA plans for the Starliner to attempt an uncrewed return. A statement from the agency confirmed that teams on the ground can remotely command the spacecraft for safe undocking, re-entry, and parachute-assisted landing in the U.S. southwest.
As the Starliner’s fate unfolds during its return, the repercussions of this turbulent chapter for Boeing are already evident. Future discussions surrounding the Starliner will likely be charged and fraught with tension.
More on Starliner: Boeing Might Not Get Starliner Working Before the Space Station Is Destroyed
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