Boeing ‘humiliated’ as upstart rival SpaceX steps in to rescue stranded NASA astronauts stuck in space
Nickie Louise
Posted On August 26, 2024
NASA’s decision to bring back two astronauts from the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX vehicle has left Boeing employees feeling humiliated. The astronauts, who initially traveled to the ISS in June on Boeing’s troubled Starliner capsule, will now return to Earth early next year on a SpaceX vehicle, NASA announced on Saturday.
The mood at Boeing is grim. “We have had so many embarrassments lately, we’re under a microscope. This just made it, like, 100 times worse,” a Boeing employee told The New York Post.
“We hate SpaceX,” he added. “We talk s–t about them all the time, and now they’re bailing us out,” the Boeing who spoke on the condition of anonymity told The Post. “It’s shameful. I’m embarrassed, I’m horrified,” the employee added.
Many at Boeing are reportedly pointing fingers at NASA for the situation. Despite Boeing’s confidence that its Starliner craft could safely bring the astronauts home, NASA opted to turn to SpaceX after testing the Starliner for over two months while it remained docked at the ISS.
The Starliner faced multiple issues, including a helium leak just before liftoff, which worsened upon docking at the ISS. Due to significant problems, the astronauts have spent 49 days in space—far longer than their planned nine-day mission. They are now expected to remain in orbit until sometime in August, according to Steve Stich, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager.
Further complications included thruster failures on the Starliner, and although some issues were addressed, NASA deemed it safer to have the astronauts return via SpaceX’s Dragon Crew-9 mission in February 2025.
“We believed Starliner could bring them home safely, but NASA didn’t want to take the risk,” The Post reported, citing the Boeing employee. “They have their own public relations issues and didn’t want to risk anything.”
Steve Stich acknowledged that discussions with Boeing involved some disagreement about the level of risk. Boeing, meanwhile, refrained from commenting on NASA’s decision to rely on SpaceX and instead emphasized its commitment to ensuring the safety of the crew and the spacecraft.
“Spaceflight is risky, even at its safest and most routine. A test flight, by nature, is neither safe, nor routine. The decision to keep Butch and Suni aboard the International Space Station and bring Boeing’s Starliner home uncrewed is the result of our commitment to safety: our core value and our North Star,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “I’m grateful to both the NASA and Boeing teams for all their incredible and detailed work,” NASA said in a press conference.
The setbacks with Starliner have cost Boeing about $1.5 billion beyond the initial $4.5 billion contract with NASA, which hoped to make Starliner its second transportation option to the ISS alongside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. These ongoing issues could jeopardize Starliner’s future and further tarnish Boeing’s reputation in the aerospace industry.
Boeing has already been under scrutiny this year, with safety concerns highlighted by several incidents, including a door panel mishap on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet. Additionally, at least 20 whistleblowers have raised alarms about safety and quality issues at the company, with some of them facing severe consequences.
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