The Boeing Starliner, which was in competition with the SpaceX Dragon for ferrying crew to and from the international space station, has had its NASA contract reduced from six missions to four, with the final two missions as “optional.” This comes after the debacle last year that resulted in a one week mission turning into a 286 day ordeal for astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore.
Adding insult to injury, Starliner’s next flight for NASA will be restricted to cargo to further test the space vehicle, as the agency does not want a repeat of the issues that stranded astronauts in space for nearly 10 months. That will leave only three crew missions for Starliner under contract, with two “optional” missions possible.
NASA’s contracts with SpaceX and Boeing were agreed to in 2014 to ferry astronauts to and from the ISS, with $2.6 billion and $4.2 billion, respectively. SpaceX has been shuttling astronauts to the ISS since 2020, completing 12 missions. Starliner completed only the one crewed mission with a return to earth without the astronauts, stranding them in space. Clearly, SpaceX delivered on their promise while Starliner, with 62% more funding, failed. Boeing’s next run to the space station will occur in April 2026 at the earliest, with the safety of the system to be evaluated during the un-crewed mission.
The Bottom Line
While Boeing has been recovering from quality issues on the aircraft side of the business, it must still prove itself for the space elements of its business. Hopefully, the same focused efforts that are turning around commercial aircraft will also enable success in space. But even with successful flights, it appears that with the coming demise of the ISS, the primary mission for the Starship is disappearing.
What’s next for Boeing in space remains uncertain, but clearly hinges on success of a program that must again achieve what McDonnell accomplished six decades ago, long prior to its acquisition by Boeing. Our view is that it is likely that Boeing will focus more on black programs for the US Space Force rather than NASA contracts for civilian use. Stay tuned.
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