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Boeing’s Starliner Faces Uncertainty Post-Inaugural Crew Test

After spending 268 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams returned to Earth on Tuesday evening. Their mission marked the first crewed test flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, a vehicle under development through a significant NASA contract. While the astronauts have safely landed, the future of the Starliner program remains unclear.

Wilmore and Williams served as the commander and pilot for the inaugural crew flight test (CFT) of the Starliner. The mission faced challenges that extended its duration, including identified helium leaks and thruster malfunctions. These issues led to Starliner returning to Earth empty in September, necessitating the involvement of SpaceX for the astronauts’ safe return.

During a recent press conference, NASA officials disclosed that a decision regarding the crew status for the next Starliner mission has yet to be made, as Boeing did not send a representative to address inquiries about the spacecraft’s future.

“We’re in the process of looking at that vehicle, looking at the helium system,” stated Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew program.

Wilmore and Williams splashed down off the coast of Florida at 5:57 p.m. EDT on Tuesday and were joyfully welcomed by a pod of dolphins. Following standard medical evaluations, the astronauts returned to Johnson Space Center in Houston and are expected to take some well-deserved time off with their families, according to Stich.

In contrast, the Starliner program is still facing hurdles. Stich mentioned that NASA requires “a little bit more time” to make decisions about whether the Starliner will participate in the agency’s 12th commercial crew rotation mission to the ISS. Until now, SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft has been the only vehicle delivering astronauts to the ISS, including those who facilitated Wilmore and Williams’ return.

Boeing had anticipated that the CFT would culminate in the spacecraft’s certification for operational flights. Although Stich noted that the company has supplied a substantial amount of certification data, there are still unresolved issues concerning the propulsion system.

“What we’d like to do is one flight, and then get into a crew rotation flight,” Stich remarked. “The next flight up would really test all the changes we’re making to the vehicle, and then the next flight beyond that, we really need to get Boeing into a crewed rotation.”

Before launching the next mission, NASA will conduct vital tests to ensure that the spacecraft can operate without the issues previously encountered. Stich indicated that engineers have identified seals that may need to be replaced to mitigate helium leaks. Boeing is also refining a thermal system designed to test Starliner’s thruster compartments.

“We’ll add some tape and thermal barriers in different places,” he explained.

Interestingly, the successful return of Wilmore and Williams aboard SpaceX’s Crew-9 Dragon underscores the reason NASA engaged Boeing as a commercial crew provider. The agency aims to have multiple vehicles capable of transporting astronauts to the ISS, thereby creating redundancy in case of issues. In this instance, the Dragon was utilized when Starliner faced operational challenges, but in future scenarios, Starliner could serve as a backup for Dragon missions.

“This is a lesson learned for NASA, too, such that when we do have Boeing and SpaceX both flying on a regular basis, we need to be able to do the opposite,” noted Bill Spetch, operations integration manager for NASA’s ISS program office.

When asked about Boeing’s commitment to the Starliner program, particularly given the project’s cost of over $2 billion, Stich remarked that the company remains “keenly interested” in the mission and has communicated with NASA throughout the astronauts’ return process. There were recent reports suggesting that Boeing was considering divesting its entire space division, including the Starliner.

“I see a commitment from Boeing to continue the program,” Stich asserted. “They realize that they have an important vehicle, and we were very close to having a capability that we would like to field. I think we have some changes we need to make to the way we heat those thrusters, the way we fire those thrusters, and then we can test that on the next flight.”

Looking ahead, SpaceX’s Dragon is anticipated to conduct the Crew-11 mission as early as mid-July, while Starliner’s operational debut has been pushed to a target date of 2025.

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