NASA officials have admitted that there was “tension” in the room when they revealed that they would not allow Boeing to let two stranded astronauts use their Starliner spacecraft to come back down to Earth.
This latest update in the NASA Boeing drama comes as astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams remain stuck on the International Space Station (ISS) thanks to Starliner’s many problems.
Starliner’s Many Problems
Even before Boeing’s Starliner launched into space with Wilmore and Williams on board, there were many problems.
These various issues — such as a small helium leak — even prompted the launch to be scrubbed at the last minute more than once. On more than one occasion, Wilmore and Williams were strapped into the craft, ready for launch, when it was suddenly scrubbed.
Issues in Orbit
Even with these problems, Boeing and NASA still went ahead with the launch. Unfortunately, more issues appeared while Williams and Wilmore were in orbit.
When trying to dock the Starliner with the ISS, five thrusters failed. While four thrusters eventually came back online, this issue has remained a real worry for engineers.
A Prolonged Stay
Wilmore and Williams were only supposed to stay on the ISS for about a week. However, because of Starliner’s problems, that week was extended.
And it kept on being extended, as NASA wanted to ensure that their astronauts would be able to safely return to Earth.
An Extension Until 2025
Headlines were made when NASA finally revealed that their astronauts would stay on the ISS until February 2025.
They wouldn’t be returning on Starliner. Instead, Starliner would return to Earth with no crew, and a SpaceX capsule would take home Williams and Wilmore next year.
Tension in the Room
Now, NASA officials are opening up about how there is indeed tension between them and Boeing. Steve Stich, the program manager for the commercial crew program, admitted to this.
Stich said, “I would say, anytime […] where there’s this kind of decision, there is some tension in the room.”
A Difference of Opinion
Stich further explained that NASA had a different opinion than Boeing, as Boeing believed that Starliner could return Williams and Wilmore to Earth safely.
“Boeing believed in the model that they had created to predict thruster degradation for the rest of the flight,” Stich stated. “The NASA team looked at the model and saw some limitation. It really had to do with, do we have confidence in the thrusters, and how much we could predict their degradation from undock through the deorbit burn?”
Boeing Knows Starliner
Stich then added that he understood Boeing’s desire to have the mission be completed as they planned.
He explained, “From a Boeing standpoint, they certainly know their spacecraft, and they’re analyzing risks and what they think the capability is with the one vehicle.”
NASA Had to Look at the Risks
However, Stich then pointed out that Boeing doesn’t have the same analysis of risk trades that NASA does.
“You also have to recognize that the agency is in a bit of a different position in terms of our understanding about the risks, and what’s available to us without Starliner, so that’s also a difference in the opinions,” he concluded.
Next Steps
Now that NASA has officially made the decision to send Starliner back to Earth — minus Williams and Wilmore — they are preparing for the next steps alongside Boeing.
NASA is also ensuring they are working with SpaceX to prepare for returning their two astronauts home next year.
Changes to SpaceX
To ensure that they can return Wilmore and Williams to Earth in February of 2025, SpaceX’s Crew-9 is already making some necessary changes.
Instead of allowing four astronauts to head up to the ISS on Crew Dragon, two are now only going. Therefore, Williams and Wilmore will be able to join them on the way down.
Boeing’s Disastrous Test?
This solution to Boeing’s Starliner problem could result in major issues for the company, as this crewed mission was a test to further be able to work with NASA.
Various issues have popped up with Starliner — and more may in the near future as it heads down to Earth. Most recently, the Starliner began to emit odd sonar-like noises from its speakers. NASA has confirmed that these noises were simply transmissions from their ground stations.
