This is not investment advice. The author has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Wccftech.com has a disclosure and ethics policy.
In a late-night press release after insider sources shared with multiple publications that NASA is undecided about using its Starliner spacecraft to bring astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams home, Boeing has raised the stakes by publicly disclosing the list of key actions it has taken to convince the space agency that the craft is ready to take the crew home. The Starliner, which has been docked at the ISS since June, is currently in the public eye after NASA and Boeing conducted extensive tests on the craft to ensure that its thrusters and helium systems will function without endangering the astronauts or the space station when it undocks for its return trip.
Boeing’s “confidence remains high” for Starliner’s crew return to Earth
The end of the current week was an interesting day for the controversy surrounding the return of the Starliner, as after a brilliant report ArsTechnica cited two sources who believed that “it was more likely than not“that SpaceX’s Crew Dragon would eventually bring Williams and Wilmore home. This report was followed by CNBC quoting an anonymous source added that NASA was in “deep discussions“to decide whether to stick with the original plan or switch to SpaceX’s Crew Dragon.
NASA, for its part, had not made any decisions as of noon. At a press conference for the agency’s next cargo launch on SpaceX’s Falcon 9, currently scheduled for tomorrow, it was revealed that the spacecraft, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus, would not be carrying spacesuits into space for astronauts. Crew flying on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon must wear custom SpaceX suits that are tailored to each astronaut.
Now, late tonight, Boeing shared a list of tests it has performed on Starliner and on the ground as part of its work to help NASA decide the astronaut return trip. According to the company, these tests include a hot-fire test of the thrusters before the spacecraft docks with the ISS, two subsequent hot-fire tests, including one this weekend, computer model simulations to outline scenarios the crew could experience during the return, an undocking simulation with the crew and ground teams, and ground tests using a new thruster.
Considering these tests and simulations, Boeing “remains confident in the Starliner spacecraft and its ability to return the crew safelywith the data also supporting “ root cause assessmentsaccording to the company.
What precipitated Boeing’s late launch is unclear. A detailed launch like this could indicate that NASA remains hesitant to move forward and bring the crew home on Starliner. It could also indicate that Boeing is eager to control the narrative of its spacecraft, which has already suffered delays of several years It is accumulated financial losses. NASA, for its part, hopes share more information about Starliner next weekincluding details for an agency review that will decide the fate of the ship – and its crew.