Boeing is exploring sale of space business, WSJ reports

The report comes just days Boing-made Intelsat-33e satellite broke apart in geostationary orbit, leaving dozens of fragments behind, according to the U.S. Space Force.

“The beleaguered company is exploring a sale of its storied NASA business, including the troubled Starliner space vehicle and operations that support the International Space Station, according to people familiar with the matter,” WSJ reported.

The Starliner spacecraft, which has faced significant development delays and technical issues, has cost Boeing more than $1.8 billion in private overruns. Boeing has not yet responded to a request for comment on the potential sale.

Early this month, Boeing also suffered another setback after NASA replaced Boeing’s Starliner with SpaceX’s Crew Dragon for two crew rotation missions to the ISS in 2025, due to ongoing concerns about Boeing’s reliability.

The Starliner had already experienced an engine failure that led NASA to deem it too risky for crew transport. Two NASA astronauts Boeing transported to the ISS remain there, now scheduled to return in February aboard a SpaceX craft.

Meanwhile, Boeing is dealing with a labor strike involving approximately 33,000 workers from its commercial airplane production team, halting output of its popular 737 MAX and the 767 and 777 widebody jets.

Two weeks ago, Boeing also announced it was laying off 10% of its workforce, about 17,000 employees, as it faces mounting losses and an ongoing machinist strike that has halted aircraft production for five weeks.