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Boeing’s first spacecraft carrying a human crew was launched on Saturday. If all goes as planned, the mission will bring astronauts to the International Space Station and prove to NASA that Boeing can be a reliable transportation partner.
It’s been a long journey to get to this point: NASA has rescheduled the launch several times this month amid technical concerns. That followed years of delays and costs that ran $1 billion over budget.
Why we wrote this
The Boeing brand has taken a hit from several troubling incidents. On Saturday, the company plans to launch a crewed space flight to demonstrate that it can successfully transport astronauts to the space station.
The safe transportation of astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams is a crucial priority. A successful launch of the Starliner capsule would also provide NASA with a second US spacecraft capable of transporting astronauts to and from the space station.
Boeing could use a public relations win now after a string of negative news about its commercial aviation business.
Boeing and NASA will learn from this test flight, says Kay Sears, vice president and general manager of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, who notes that a successful launch “builds trust with our customers and our employees.”
Boeing’s first spacecraft carrying a human crew was launched Saturday from Florida. If all goes as planned, the mission will bring astronauts to the International Space Station and prove to NASA that Boeing can be a reliable transportation partner.
The Starliner capsule is scheduled to take off as soon as 12:25 pm EDT on June 1. It’s been a long journey to get to this point: NASA has rescheduled the launch five times this month amid technical concerns. That followed years of delays and costs that ran $1 billion over budget.
Astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams are expected to test the spacecraft’s systems while on the space station for about seven days before landing in the southwestern United States.
Why we wrote this
The Boeing brand has taken a hit from several troubling incidents. On Saturday, the company plans to launch a crewed space flight to demonstrate that it can successfully transport astronauts to the space station.
A successful launch would be an important moment for Boeing and help solidify a new era of commercial spaceflight. The Starliner is the second of two contracts that NASA has awarded to private companies to transport astronauts to the space station.
Why is this Starliner launch important?
The safe transportation of Mr. Wilmore and Ms. Williams is a crucial priority. A successful launch would also provide NASA with a second US spacecraft capable of transporting astronauts to and from the space station.
“It was really important for the nation to have a strategy where we would have multiple companies with the ability to take humans into outer space,” says Kay Sears, vice president and general manager of Boeing Defense, Space & Security.
Starliner also has some distinct capabilities, such as allowing astronauts to maneuver the capsule as if it were an airplane, Ms. Sears says. “There are certain situations where we really want the astronauts to be able to take control if needed, so this is a unique feature.”
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon has launched 50 people on 13 flights to the space station since 2020, while Boeing’s venture has been fraught with challenges.
Boeing has completed a successful test of an uncrewed Starliner mission to the space station in 2022. Once the Starliner completes this crewed flight, NASA intends to use the craft for regular missions that carry four astronauts to the time at the space station.
The Starliner launch aims to decrease NASA’s dependence on it Russia for low-orbit spaceflight. Since NASA retired its space shuttle fleet in 2011, it has used Russian shuttles to send American astronauts to the space station, most recently with American Tracy Dyson joining a Belarusian and Russian cosmonaut March 2024 launch Although the United States and Russia currently cooperate in terms of space flight, the tense political situation between the two powers has increased the urgency to end America’s reliance on the Russian space program.
Having two reliable spacecraft to alternate allows the United States to maintain a consistent human presence on the space station, which has been operated by NASA and its international partners since 1998.
“You can’t lead and you can’t shape the rules if you don’t show up. So the human space flight is to appear in a region from which we are already really dependent – but we don’t control. And so we want to shape the rules of that environment “says Scott Pace, director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University.
How does it fit into NASA’s overall plans?
NASA has been focusing on its Commercial Equipment Program since retiring its space shuttle fleet in 2011. Its goal is to develop safe and cost-effective human transportation to the space station through partnerships with private companies. NASA hopes to let these companies run shuttle missions while it focuses on deep space efforts.
“The real question is, what comes after the space station?” says Mr. Pace. He indicates that there have been a number of proposals for the construction of small commercial space stations in low Earth orbit that could help with the development of technology or space tourism.
NASA is thinking about withdraw the space station in 2030 crashing into the ocean. What could be an international space station in the future is unclear, with three companies – Axiom Space, Voyager Space and Blue Origin – vying to win a NASA partnership.
“I think it’s a natural progression of our space program. It saves taxpayers a lot of money because these companies have an incentive to innovate and lower costs so they can bring in additional customers,” says Lori Garver, a former CEO of the NASA is a senior fellow at Harvard University’s Belfer Center.
Why is this a big test for Boeing in particular?
Boeing could use a public relations win now after a string of negative news about its commercial aviation business. Boeing is facing intense public scrutiny after several problems with its 737 jets, including a panel that blew off a January Alaska Airlines flight shortly after takeoff.
Landing the Starliner capsule safely on Earth would be the complete success of a multi-billion dollar, year-long project. The first two private contracts were awarded to Boeing and SpaceX in 2014, for $4.2 billion and $2.6 billion, respectively.
SpaceX has experienced quite a bit of failures before its successful launch of the equipment, and also dealt with years of delays and budget overruns. Most recently, the Starliner launch was grounded on May 6 about two hours before takeoff due to a malfunctioning valve in the Atlas V rocket that carries the capsule to space. A second launch attempt scheduled for May 17 was canceled when a small helium leak was found in the Starliner propulsion system.
Boeing and NASA will learn from this test flight, says Ms. Sears, who notes that a successful launch “builds trust with our customers and our employees.”
Finding problems before they start is part of being diligent, says Mr. Pace. “Nobody likes delays, but it’s just part of the process of getting it right,” says Mr. Pace. He notes that the cost of managing Boeing’s space program may be more important to the company than the delays.
“There is certainly a question of whether they will continue the program after fulfilling their commitments to NASA because it has been a great and expensive success for the company,” he says. “I think they can overcome the reputation problems. I think they can overcome and solve their technical problems, but you know, finances are finances.”
