NASA Persists in Supporting Starliner Amidst Boeing's Space Mishap
Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, initially intended to usher in a new era of crew rotation missions, is gearing up for its next test flight this summer. The propulsion system will undergo a ground test, followed by a mission to verify the functionality of the thrusters in space after modifications.
The upcoming test flight comes after a setback in June 2022, when the Starliner spacecraft launched to the International Space Station (ISS) but failed to perform as planned, with five of its thrusters malfunctioning. This incident delayed its next chance at flying to the ISS.
NASA, however, remains supportive of Boeing's efforts. The space agency is still willing to give Boeing another chance at carrying astronauts to and from the ISS, aiming to reduce its full dependency on SpaceX as its primary ride. NASA's Commercial Crew Program contract with Boeing for the development of the Starliner spacecraft is valued at $4.3 billion.
NASA's commercial crew program manager, Steve Stich, has stated that the next flight will test all changes made to the vehicle. Once the changes have been validated, NASA hopes to include the Starliner spacecraft in its crew mission schedule.
The next test flight is likely to be another uncrewed test mission, although a confirmed date has yet to be announced. A subsequent flight to the ISS will then demonstrate Starliner's ability to operate in a space environment.
Meanwhile, SpaceX's Dragon was used to retrieve the two Starliner astronauts from the ISS, while NASA tapped SpaceX to launch the Crew-10 mission on March 12. Boeing has not yet met the end of its contract with NASA, while SpaceX has flown 10 crews to the ISS and back.
NASA's ultimate goal is to have two private vehicles as options instead of just one, offering a more diverse and robust commercial crew programme. The agency aims to foster competition among space companies, driving innovation and lowering costs for future space missions.
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