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Boeing\u2019s Starliner, originally intended to serve as an alternative to SpaceX\u2019s workhorse Dragon spacecraft, has been nothing short of a disaster.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been just over two years since the spacecraft launched<\/a> to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams on board, a maiden crewed voyage following years of delays and major technical setbacks. But thanks to persistent issues with the thrusters<\/a> and major helium leaks<\/a>, the capsule stranded the duo in space for nine months<\/a>, and eventually returned without anybody on board<\/a>.<\/p>\n Since then, Boeing has continued to struggle to get its act together \u2014 over a decade and a half<\/a> after it struck up its Commercial Crew Program contract with NASA. As Spaceflight Now reports<\/a>, the long-awaited follow-up to the calamitous test flight \u2014 which won\u2019t even have a crew on board<\/a> \u2014 still doesn\u2019t have an official launch date and could be as far as a year away.<\/p>\n The clock is ticking. The ISS will be retired<\/a> in a matter of four years, which could make the spacecraft obsolete after spending well over $2 billion<\/a> on it and failing to ever successfully send astronauts to space and back on the type of round trips it was designed for.<\/p>\n The news comes roughly four months after NASA released a Program Investigation Team (PIT) report, classifying Wilmore and Williams\u2019 harrowing journey<\/a> as a \u201cType A mishap<\/a>,\u201d a classification that indicates \u201cproperty damage equal to or greater than $2 million or more.\u201d<\/p>\n The report concluded that \u201ccultural and leadership challenges\u201d had \u201cundermined technical rigor and exacerbated technical risks, blaming the space agency for a hands-off approach to the capsule\u2019s development, and Boeing\u2019s insufficient engineering oversight. <\/p>\n At the time, NASA administrator Jared Isaacman acknowledged the failures, writing in a letter<\/a> that \u201cwe are taking ownership of our shortcomings.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut to be clear: NASA will not fly another crew on Starliner until technical causes are understood and corrected, the propulsion system is fully qualified, and appropriate investigation recommendations are implemented,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n This week, a public meeting of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) revealed that officials were still trying to assess what to do with the extremely expensive spacecraft.<\/p>\n \u201cNASA and Boeing continue working toward the goal of Starliner\u2019s crewed certification, which includes defining what is needed and acceptable for the next uncrewed mission to reduce risk and confirm readiness for crew missions,\u201d former NASA astronaut and ASAP member Kent Rominger said, as quoted by Spaceflight Now.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Starliner-1 uncrewed mission launch target is under review as work remains to close the final propulsion system issues,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n In short, Boeing\u2019s disastrous spacecraft is on hold until further notice, a major blunder marring NASA\u2019s efforts to ensure regular access to space.<\/p>\n