- NASA's audit has raised significant doubts about Boeing's Starliner certification timeline, indicating it may now be a decade late.
- The report links ongoing issues with Starliner to overconfidence and unrealistic schedules set by Boeing and accepted by NASA.
- NASA is now uncertain if the Starliner will ever be certified for human flight, with significant technical issues still unresolved.
- NASA's inspector general has suggested that the Starliner program is now projected to be a decade late, with certification unlikely before 2027.
- Boeing has faced multiple setbacks, including two orbital flight tests and a crewed flight test that suffered significant issues.
- NASA has had to purchase additional SpaceX flights to cover crew transportation needs due to Starliner delays.
- NASA's commercial crew program has faced personnel attrition, losing 21% of its staff, which has impacted oversight and resolution of technical issues.
NASA's recent audit has cast doubt on Boeing's Starliner certification timeline, revealing that the crew capsule will not be ready for operational flights until 2024, a full decade behind its initial 2017 target.125691011
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) report attributes these delays to a mix of overconfidence in Boeing's capabilities and unrealistic schedules set by both NASA and Boeing. The report highlights that NASA's commercial crew program operated under the assumption that Starliner's Crew Flight Test (CFT) was only six months away, despite the mission not launching until June 2024.34
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman classified the CFT as a serious failure, and the agency has since stripped Boeing of two guaranteed crew rotation missions, reducing the contract's value by approximately $500 million.
With the International Space Station (ISS) set to retire in 2030, the urgency to resolve Starliner's technical issues, including helium leaks and propulsion system failures, is paramount. NASA's reliance on SpaceX for crew transport has increased, with the agency paying $17 million to expedite Crew Dragon flights to fill the gap left by Starliner delays.
The report underscores the uncertainty surrounding Starliner's future, with NASA officials suggesting a fall 2026 certification timeline, which many experts deem unrealistic given the current challenges.
As NASA continues to address these issues, the agency's workforce constraints may further hinder oversight and resolution of the ongoing technical problems.
“NASA's inspector general suggests Boeing's Starliner will now be a decade late for certification. The report highlights ongoing technical issues and questions the feasibility of future crewed flights.”
Ars Technica
SpaceNews
