Starliner’s Second Chance: NASA Considers Another Test Flight After Botched Mission
The saga surrounding Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft continues, marked by challenges and persistent hope. Despite a recent crewed test flight that encountered significant difficulties and left two astronauts temporarily stranded in space, NASA is not ready to abandon the program. The space agency is actively exploring the possibility of conducting another uncrewed test flight before formally certifying Starliner for routine crew transport missions to the International Space Station (ISS).
During a recent press briefing, NASA officials articulated their strategic approach to rescuing the Starliner program. The proposed plan involves an additional test flight designed to thoroughly evaluate modifications made to the spacecraft following the problematic June 5th mission. This test flight would ideally pave the way for Starliner to eventually join the ranks of vehicles utilized for regular crew rotation to the ISS.
Steve Stich, the program manager for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, emphasized the intended trajectory for Starliner. "What we’d like to do is that one flight and then get into a crew rotation flight," he explained, as reported by SpaceNews. "So, the next flight up would really test all the changes we’re making to the vehicle, and then the next fight beyond that, we really need to get Boeing into a crew rotation. So, that’s the strategy."
The ill-fated June 5th mission was intended to be a major milestone for Boeing and its Starliner spacecraft. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were aboard for the inaugural crewed test flight to the ISS. However, the mission quickly encountered complications as five of Starliner’s thrusters malfunctioned during its journey to the space station. This critical system failure raised serious concerns about the spacecraft’s operational reliability. Due to the thruster problems, NASA ultimately deemed Starliner unsuitable for returning the astronauts to Earth.
Faced with the urgent need to bring Wilmore and Williams back home safely, NASA devised an alternative plan. The two astronauts were eventually transported back to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, highlighting the stark contrast in performance between the two Commercial Crew Program partners.
The upcoming Starliner test flight will focus heavily on verifying the functionality of the spacecraft’s thrusters in the demanding environment of space. Boeing engineers have been working diligently to address the propulsion system issues that plagued the previous mission. A key part of this effort involves extensive ground testing of the propulsion system. These tests, planned for this summer, will allow Boeing to thoroughly evaluate the implemented fixes and identify any remaining vulnerabilities.
According to Stich, the subsequent flight to the ISS will serve as a crucial demonstration of Starliner’s ability to operate effectively in space conditions that are difficult, if not impossible, to replicate accurately on Earth. This in-flight assessment will provide valuable data and insights into the spacecraft’s overall performance and reliability.
Upon successful validation of the implemented changes, NASA intends to integrate the Starliner spacecraft into its crew mission schedule. This integration would help diversify the available options for transporting astronauts to and from the ISS. Currently, SpaceX and its Crew Dragon spacecraft hold a dominant position in this critical area, a situation NASA is eager to change.
In 2014, NASA awarded contracts to both Boeing and SpaceX as part of the Commercial Crew Program. The overarching goal of this program was to encourage the development of commercially available spacecraft capable of safely and reliably transporting both crew and cargo to the ISS. The program sought to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign spacecraft, especially the Russian Soyuz, for access to the space station.
As of now, Boeing has not yet fully fulfilled its obligations under the $4.3 billion Commercial Crew Program contract with NASA. In contrast, SpaceX has successfully completed ten crewed missions to the ISS and back, establishing itself as a proven and dependable partner.
The recent crewed test flight of Starliner was originally intended to be the final hurdle before the spacecraft received certification for routine crew transport to the ISS, alongside SpaceX. However, the mission’s setbacks led NASA to postpone the certification decision and re-evaluate its approach.
NASA had initially hoped that Starliner would be ready to undertake its first official crew mission by early 2025. Given the events of the June 5th mission and the subsequent need for modifications and further testing, that timeline is no longer realistic. Instead, NASA has turned to SpaceX to launch the Crew-10 mission, which took place on March 12th, demonstrating the reliability and availability of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon vehicle.
The decision to utilize SpaceX’s Dragon to retrieve Wilmore and Williams from the ISS underscored the current disparity in capabilities between the two Commercial Crew Program partners.
Despite the challenges and setbacks encountered during Starliner’s crewed test flight, NASA remains committed to providing Boeing with another opportunity to prove the spacecraft’s viability. The space agency’s willingness to offer a second chance stems from a desire to maintain redundancy and diversify its access to space. By having two independent private vehicles capable of transporting astronauts to and from the ISS, NASA aims to reduce its complete dependence on SpaceX and establish a more robust and resilient space transportation infrastructure.
