These are sad times for Boeing, and the current Starliner Crew Flight Test (CFT) for NASA is the latest example. It's not just aviation. It took Boeing 10 years to get the spacecraft right, costing more than $4 billion to do it, and it had previously flown two unmanned tests because the first test failed. Boeing's woes continue with its currently troubled Starliner crew test mission.
As expected, both NASA and Boeing are downplaying the issue, saying “space is difficult.” The capsules were nothing new, and neither was the flagship Atlas V rocket they were given. SpaceX has been flying its Dragon spacecraft well on many missions for several years. The new kids on the block have turned pros. So what is Boeing's excuse?
Helium leaks and thruster problems
The current CFT mission is the Starliner's third flight test, but the first with a crew. Of course, flight testing must be performed to troubleshoot problems that can only be discovered during flight. But even after two previous tests, the capsule has yet another problematic mission, forcing the crew to remain on the International Space Station (ISS) until the problems are resolved, and both NASA and Boeing remain confident the Starliner can return safely. At the time of publication of this story, a return date has not yet been announced.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on June 5. But soon problems started to arise.
Five separate leaks have been detected in the helium system that pressurizes the spacecraft's propulsion system. Five of the Starliner's 28 Reactive Control System (RCS) thrusters also failed when the crew attempted to rendezvous with the ISS for docking.
After some troubleshooting, the four RCS thrusters were brought back online and safely docked, but many questions and concerns about a safe return remain. It also raises questions about why aerospace giants like Boeing still fail to deliver results after investing so much time and money.
Long stay in space while Boeing and NASA analyze data
A control system is required to safely undock and navigate the ISS. It is also required for deorbiting burns to separate the crew capsule from the service module for re-entry and to perform a successful re-entry.
The mission was scheduled to undock and return to Earth on June 14. But engineers and mission leaders canceled several return opportunities, citing the need to analyze more data. Now they won't return until some previously unscheduled spacewalks are conducted in early July.
NASA claims that in case of an emergency, the crew could return to Earth aboard the Starliner. Well, if that's true, why hasn't it come back yet?
Of course, no one wants to see another crew member perish. If necessary, the Starliner crew could stay on the ISS for a while and then return home aboard another spacecraft.
However, the Starliner CFT will only be evaluated on the ISS for 45 days. The future spacecraft can stay for up to six months.
NASA has invested billions of dollars in Starliner & Dragon development. SpaceX is conducting its eighth long-duration crewed mission. There is no Starliner yet.
Following the retirement of NASA's space shuttle fleet in 2011, Congress ordered NASA to expedite commercial development to take over crew and cargo missions to the ISS. You can even sell your services along with your new vehicle to individual customers. SpaceX is already doing that. Boeing said it has no plans to do so. In the meantime, NASA is focused on SLS/Artemis and returning to the Moon to establish a long-term human presence.
The Bush administration ordered the retirement of the Shuttle Fleet following the loss of Columbia STS-107. Under the Obama administration, NASA was ordered to foster civilian development and launched a commercial crew program.
After Shuttle Atlantis landed on STS-135, the United States became 100% dependent on Russia to fly NASA astronauts to and from the ISS. American astronauts, who paid a total of $70 million per seat, rode on some of the best 1960s technology money could buy.
Meanwhile, NASA signed a contract with Boeing and SpaceX in 2014 to begin developing a vehicle to return human orbital spaceflight to American soil.
NASA has approved a contract for a very promising Sierra Nevada “mini-space shuttle” called Dream Chaser that could land on almost any runway in the country. It was a favorite along with SpaceX. Boeing, which was working with NASA and the government, won the contract instead.
NASA ultimately gave Dream Chaser a cargo-only contract, but should have awarded a crew contract in 2014 instead. The first cargo Dream Chaser is scheduled to launch in Florida later this year.
Having two providers would provide the United States with redundancy if the spacecraft were to have an accident or go offline for a while. This means that if one of the U.S. spacecraft has to abort a flight, the other spacecraft can continue to be used rather than relying on the Russian Soyuz.
Boeing is already in bed with NASA and received $4.6 billion. The Atlas V rocket was already a proven workhorse, but it needed work to get it to crew rating. Boeing gave them the launch pad and rockets, and a crew access tower had to be built.
SpaceX was awarded half that amount, $2.6 billion, and had to prove its new Falcon 9 rocket would be worthwhile over several years. NASA knew that SpaceX had a lot more work to do because they were new in the game.
Guess who got the crewed plane back to American soil first? SpaceX successfully completed NASA's first manned test flight in 2020, ahead of Boeing this year.
The Starliner's problems are not new.
Starliner began unmanned orbital flight testing in December 2019, but it didn't go well at all. Shortly after reaching orbit, Starliner experienced automated timing problems. Flight controllers aborted the ISS docking and instead placed the Starliner in an unplanned, stable orbit, saving other critical mission test objectives, including deorbit, re-entry and landing. We returned to Earth two days later.
NASA wasn't convinced, even though Boeing described it as a good test flight. Boeing offered to do it again at its own expense. In March 2020, a joint NASA/Boeing independent review team discovered three major anomalies. It was caused by two software coding errors and an unexpected loss of space-to-ground communications. They ordered more than 80 recommendations covering testing and simulation, change board documentation, and safety culture before redo flight testing begins.
Ahead of her second launch, more problems began to appear with the Starliner. While on the launch pad, some valves connected to the Starliner's abort and propulsion thrusters did not open as designed during the countdown, causing a scrub.
Boeing decided to replace the OFT-2 service module with a module previously scheduled for the CFT mission. The module is a vehicle that is currently in orbit and is experiencing some issues.
OFT-2 finally launched in May 2022, and although it encountered a few minor issues, the mission was a success, meeting OFT-1's remaining test objectives.
Retired astronaut Chris Ferguson was scheduled to lead the first Starliner test, but resigned.
Retired NASA astronaut Chris Ferguson commanded STS-135. He then joined Boeing and commanded his first Starliner CFT mission. However, he later backed out of the plane, citing his family commitments. That's his public excuse and he's stuck to it.
However, Ferguson remained involved with the Starliner program, becoming a crew member and director of mission operations. He said, “I will also play a supporting role as the eyes and ears of the CFT production team.” That work includes tracking the spacecraft during testing and “giving reasonable attention to any problems that need to be addressed.”
looking ahead
It's been a tough road for Boeing and Starliner, but the finish line is nearing NASA certification to begin flight operational missions. As of today, the mission has completed 77 of its 87 designated flight test objectives, with the remaining 10 scheduled to be performed during undock, reentry, and landing.
“We strategically used the additional time to complete preparations for Butch and Suni's return to the Starliner and gain valuable insight into system upgrades to be performed for post-certification missions, while also clearing the path for several critical station activities,” said Steve Stitch. “I’m doing it,” he said. , NASA's commercial crew program manager.
The Starliner has three locations where it can land after undocking from the ISS. White Sands Space Harbor (WSSH), NM, Wilcox Playa, AZ. and Dugway Proving Grounds, UT.
The crew will then be transported by helicopter to Johnson Space Center in Houston, and the spacecraft will be sent elsewhere for engineers to look at it.
If Starliner successfully completes the test program and achieves NASA certification, Boeing will fly at least two, and up to six, manned missions to the ISS for NASA. Provides redundancy for the United States with multiple operators for low-Earth orbit human spaceflight.
Avgeekery's Mike Killian has extensive experience reporting on NASA, covering America's space program scene full-time since 2009. He has seen the program evolve from the end of the shuttle era and the birth of the commercial crew program, covering every major development milestone. This is because contracts were signed with Boeing and SpaceX 10 years ago.