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In a late night press release after insider sources shared with multiple publications that NASA is undecided on whether to use its Starliner spacecraft to bring astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams home, Boeing has upped the stakes by publicly releasing the list of major actions it has taken to convince the space agency that the ship is ready to fly crew home. Starliner, which has been docked to the ISS since June, is currently in the public eye after NASA and Boeing ran extensive tests on the ship to ensure its thrusters and helium systems will perform without placing either the astronauts or the space station in harm once it undocks for its return journey.
Boeing's "Confidence Remains High" For Returning Crew To Earth On Starliner
The tail end of the current week was an interesting day for the controversy surrounding Starliner's return as after a scintillating report from ArsTechnica quoted two sources who believed that "it was more likely than not" that SpaceX's Crew Dragon would end up bringing Williams and Wilmore home. This report was followed by CNBC quoting an anonymous source to add that NASA had been in "deep discussions" to decide whether to stick with the original plan or switch to SpaceX's Crew Dragon.
NASA, for its part, hadn't made any decisions until noon. In a press conference for the agency's upcoming cargo launch on SpaceX's Falcon 9, currently scheduled tomorrow, it was revealed that the spacecraft, Northrop Grumman's Cygnus, was not taking spacesuits to space for the astronauts. Crew that fly in SpaceX's Crew Dragon need to use SpaceX's custom made suits that are custom fitted for each astronaut.
Now, late in the evening today, Boeing shared a list of tests that it has run on Starliner and on the ground as part of its work to help NASA decide the astronaut's return journey. According to the company, these tests include a hot fire test of the thrusters before the ship docked to the ISS, two subsequent hot fire tests, including one this weekend, computer model simulations to outline scenarios that the crew could experience during return, an undocking simulation with the crew and ground teams and ground tests using a new thruster.
Considering these tests and simulations, Boeing "remains confident in the Starliner spacecraft and its ability to return safely with crew," with the data also supporting " root cause assessments," according to the company.
What precipitated a late evening release by Boeing is uncertain. A detailed release, such as this one, could indicate that NASA remains hesitant to move ahead and bring the crew home on Starliner. It could also indicate that Boeing is eager to control the narrative of its spaceship, which has already suffered from multi-year delays and racked up financial losses. NASA, for its part. hopes to share more information for Starliner next week, including details for an agency review that will decide the ship's - and its crew's - fate.
About the author: Ramish is a seasoned technology writer and editor with more than a decade of experience. He specializes in semiconductor fabrication and market analysis. With a background in finance and supply chain management - via his bachelors in Finance and a micromasters in supply chain management from MIT - Ramish combines financial rigor with deep industry insight to deliver accurate and authoritative coverage.
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