It's not just in the air that Boeing is facing problems. And in space. Its CST-100 Starliner capsule, whose development is five years behind schedule, has given NASA a hard time. Ultimately, Boeing's competitor, SpaceX, was tasked with returning the spacecraft's crew to earth by the US space agency. Narrative.
They left in June. They won't be back until February… After that docking on June 6 at the International Space Station (ISS) with two astronauts on boardthe return journey of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft turned out to be more complicated than expected. Barry Wilmore and Suni Williams were originally supposed to stay for eight days. But due to technical problems, the American crew had to extend their stay 400 km above our heads. After a moment of uncertainty, NASA finally announced on Saturday, August 24, that the spacecraft's return should take place in February 2025, alongside competitor SpaceX.
The series of difficulties encountered on the Starliner led to the difficult decision not to use this vessel to bring Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams back to Earth. A snob for Boeing, already bogged down by repeated failures of its planes. “NASA has decided that Butch and Suni will return with Crew-9 in February and that Starliner will return without a crew,” NASA chief Bill Nelson said Saturday at a news conference after a decision committee.
A serious disappointment
The problems with the Boeing capsule are known. Five of the 28 propulsion thrusters, which are used to drive the craft, have failed and several helium leaks have been identified. “We don't understand (the technical problems encountered, editor's note) well enough to fix them definitively, so the only way to do that is to take time and collect more data,” explained Mark Nappi, a senior manager for Boeing . .
NASA has been given until the end of the month to decide how to get the two astronauts back to Earth safely. One of the two options considered and ultimately adopted was to send back the unmanned Starliner capsule and use SpaceX's Crew Dragon, which has been proven since 2020. A serious disappointment for Boeing. The outcome of this first manned mission was particularly important for the aircraft manufacturer. A success would have allowed the capsule to gain certification from NASA and begin regular operations.