NASA Persists with Starliner, Despite Setbacks Following Boeing's Space Mishap
Gotta give it to Boeing's Starliner, this spacecraft's story ain't over just yet! NASA's still holding onto hopes for this folly of a spacecraft, despite its failed test flight stranding a crew in space. Rumors are swirling that Starliner might get another shot at transporting astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).
In a Wednesday briefing, NASA officials spilled the beans about considering yet another test flight for Boeing's Starliner spacecraft before giving it the green light for routine crew rotation missions. According to Steve Stich, NASA commercial crew program manager, "What we'd like to do is that one flight and then get into a crew rotation flight." This means the next launch could iron out all kinks for the spacecraft's altered system, and then a subsequent mission would focus on the Starliner's place in regular crew transport operations.
Remember the fateful launch on June 5? Starliner embarked on this perilous journey carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, but things went south when five of the spacecraft's thrusters malfunctioned on the way to the ISS, leaving the two astronauts stranded in space while an empty Starliner returned home. NASA devised a slick plan to save the stranded astronauts, hitching a ride aboard a SpaceX Dragon crew vehicle.
The upcoming Starliner test flight will put the spacecraft's thrusters to the test in space following modifications to its troubled propulsion system. Boeing is slated to conduct a summer ground test to examine the company's proposed fixes. After this test, a mission to the ISS will demonstrate the spacecraft's prowess in a space environment that's tricky to mimic on Earth, Stich revealed during the briefing. Once the tweaks are proven effective, NASA envisions incorporating Starliner into its crew mission schedule, currently dominated (nay, monopolized) by SpaceX and its Crew Dragon spacecraft.
Back in 2014, NASA handed out contracts to Boeing and SpaceX as part of their Commercial Crew Program, with the aim of developing spacecraft for taking crew and cargo to the ISS. So far, Boeing hasn't met the end of its $4.3 billion Commercial Crew Program contract with NASA, whereas SpaceX has flown a whopping 10 crews to the ISS and back.
Starliner's crewed test flight was supposed to be its final hurdle before certification for regular ISS transport, alongside SpaceX. But the botched flight forced NASA to postpone Boeing's CST-100 Starliner's next chance at flying to the ISS. NASA initially hoped Starliner would launch its first crew mission by early 2025, but alas, that didn't pan out. Instead, NASA tapped its reliable commercial partner, SpaceX, for the Crew-10 mission on March 12, with SpaceX's Dragon also escorting the two beleaguered Starliner astronauts back home.
In spite of Starliner's calamitous crew flight, NASA is willing to give its commercial partner another chance at working its magic in getting astronauts to and from the ISS. This way, NASA can have a couple of private vehicles to choose from instead of relying solely on SpaceX, and hopefully, phase out its dependency on a single provider.
- The upcoming test flight for Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, scheduled for summer, will evaluate the effectiveness of its modified propulsion system in space.
- In 2025, NASA hopes to use Starliner for routine crew rotation missions to the International Space Station (ISS), once the spacecraft's altered system is fully tested and proven reliable.
- NASA's dependency on SpaceX for crew transport missions could potentially be reduced if Boeing's Starliner successfully incorporates itself into the NASA crew mission schedule, as planned.
- In order to ensure the long-term success of its future space expeditions, NASA is exploring the possibility of using both Boeing's Starliner and SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft for transporting astronauts to and from the ISS.
