The end of the failed Starliner mission; The Boeing spacecraft returned to earth empty of passengers
Boeing, as one of the pioneers in manufacturing airplanes and commercial and military equipment, has dedicated a small part of its business to space programs; But this company has a long history in the field of space flights and its efforts in this field go back to the time of sending the first Americans into space. However, Boeing’s actions to continue its space legacy are now being questioned.
Boeing’s Starliner capsule separated from the International Space Station on Saturday morning Iran time and landed successfully on Earth. The Starliner made its return trip without the two astronauts who went into space three months ago; Because NASA was worried that the faulty engines that had failed before the Starliner docked with the station would endanger the safety of its astronauts.
A decade ago, NASA chose Boeing and upstart rival SpaceX to transport astronauts to the International Space Station. Since then, SpaceX has carried out seven of these missions and is supposed to bring the Starliner astronauts back to Earth; While Starliner has not yet completed a single successful manned mission, and with the retirement of the space station in 2030, there is not much time left for it.
Ron Epstein, an aerospace and defense analyst at Bank of America, said in a research note last month: “It’s unclear whether Boeing will have another chance to carry astronauts into space.” “We wouldn’t be surprised if the company divested into the manned space flight business.” Boeing’s troubles may be a setback not only for the company, but more broadly for the US space program, which requires support from various private companies.
Private space efforts are largely led by SpaceX; A company led by Elon Musk that has made space launches a cheap and frequent event over the past few years. Blue Origin, the company owned by Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, is another private player in the space field. However, only a few companies such as Boeing and SpaceX are technically and financially capable of supporting NASA’s most ambitious, expensive and difficult projects.
Space programs are very difficult, especially when human transportation is involved. Unexpected problems and missed deadlines are common occurrences that often plague space actors.
