NASA Decides Boeing's Starliner Is Too Risky For Return | SpaceX Crew Dragon Takes Over

Summary

NASA has decided that astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunny Williams will return from the International Space Station on SpaceX's Crew Dragon, not Boeing's Starliner, due to concerns over Starliner's propulsion system. The Starliner faced multiple issues, including RCS thruster malfunctions and helium leaks, prompting a cautious approach for crew safety. The astronauts have been in space for 80 days, significantly longer than planned, but are not stranded and have sufficient supplies. The Starliner will return uncrewed, and the decision has raised questions about Boeing's spacecraft program.

Takeaways

• 🚀 NASA has decided that astronauts Butch Wilmore and Mike Fincke will return to Earth on SpaceX's Crew Dragon, not on Boeing's Starliner as originally planned.
• 🛰️ The Starliner spacecraft encountered multiple issues during its mission, including problems with its reaction control system thrusters and helium leaks.
• 🔧 Despite the issues, Boeing and NASA teams were able to restore functionality to some of the thrusters and manage the helium leaks, but not enough to gain full confidence for a crewed return.
• ⏱️ The mission duration for Butch and Sunny has been extended significantly, with them spending over 80 days in space, much longer than the initial plan.
• 🤔 NASA's decision to use a different spacecraft for the return journey was primarily due to concerns over the safety of Starliner's propulsion system.
• 👨‍🚀 Astronauts Butch and Sunny are not stranded; they have sufficient resources on the ISS and can utilize another spacecraft as a safe haven if necessary.
• 🔄 The return of Starliner to Earth will be uncrewed, with the spacecraft conducting an autonomous undocking, deorbit burn, and landing.
• 🔄 The delay of SpaceX's Crew-9 mission allowed additional time for NASA and Boeing to assess the situation and make a decision regarding the return of the astronauts.
• 🛠️ The outcome of this mission will influence future plans for Boeing's Starliner program, including the potential for operational missions without a crewed return during the flight test.
• 📅 The first operational mission of Starliner is currently scheduled for Autumn 2025, but the current situation might have implications for that timeline.

Q & A

Why did NASA decide not to use Starliner for the return trip of Butch and Sunny?

NASA decided not to use Starliner for the return trip due to multiple issues with the spacecraft's propulsion system, including helium leaks and thruster shutdowns, which posed too great a risk for a safe undocking and deorbit.

What were the specific problems encountered with Starliner's reaction control system thrusters?

Five of Starliner's reaction control system thrusters went offline due to the software disabling them when certain parameters were out of bounds, such as slower ramp up to full power or lower thrust than expected.

How did the astronauts and NASA respond to the thruster issues during the mission?

NASA and Boeing were able to return four out of the five thrusters to operation by firing each thruster individually to ensure they were working as expected. The team at White Sands conducted tests to replicate the loss of thrust and identified a swelling on the Teflon seat as the cause of the thruster issues.

What was the significance of the helium leaks detected in Starliner?

The helium leaks were significant because they indicated potential problems with the spacecraft's propulsion system. Boeing had to use extra helium to repressurize the system, and additional leaks were detected, raising concerns about the safety of the return trip.

How long were Butch and Sunny expected to stay in space, and how did the mission duration change?

Butch and Sunny were initially expected to stay in space for a mission duration of 8 days, but they ended up staying for 80 days, which is 10 times longer than the original schedule.

What is the role of the SpaceX Crew Dragon in this decision by NASA?

The SpaceX Crew Dragon will be used as the return vehicle for Butch and Sunny, as NASA has decided that Starliner is not safe enough for their return. This is a significant decision as it involves using a competitor's spacecraft for the return trip.

What is the plan for the return of Butch and Sunny if they cannot use Starliner?

Butch and Sunny will return on SpaceX's Crew Dragon as part of the Crew-9 mission in February next year. Meanwhile, Starliner will perform an autonomous uncrewed undocking, deorbit burn, and landing in the Southwest United States.

How does this decision impact the future of the Starliner program?

This decision could have significant consequences for the future of the Starliner program, potentially leading to reviews or even a cancellation. It also raises questions about Boeing's ability to deliver on its commercial crew contract with NASA.

What is the significance of the date set for the return of Butch and Sunny?

The return of Butch and Sunny is scheduled for next February, which is significant as it allows for a crew handover on board the ISS and aligns with the timeline of the Crew-9 mission.

What contingency plans are in place for the safe haven of the ISS crew during the transition period?

The Crew Dragon Endeavor, serving the Crew-8 mission, will be outfitted to act as a safe haven for Butch and Sunny during the period when neither their original Starliner nor the incoming Crew-9 Dragon are docked to the ISS.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 NASA's Decision to Use SpaceX's Crew Dragon for Return

NASA has confirmed that astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunny Williams will return to Earth on SpaceX's Crew Dragon instead of Boeing's Starliner. This decision comes after 80 days of testing and issue resolution with Starliner. The astronauts expressed confidence in Starliner despite issues with RCS thrusters and helium leaks. The return is scheduled for June 5th, 2024, and this decision has significant implications for Boeing's Starliner program.

05:01

🛰️ Challenges Faced During Starliner's Mission

Starliner faced several technical issues during its mission, including problems with the reaction control system thrusters and multiple helium leaks. These issues led to a delay in docking with the International Space Station (ISS) and raised concerns about the safety of the return journey. Despite these challenges, Boeing's Vice President downplayed the significance of the problems, and the mission was extended due to various delays and the need to resolve the Starliner's issues.

10:03

🔧 NASA's Precautionary Decision for Astronauts' Return

NASA made a cautious decision to use SpaceX's Crew Dragon for the return of astronauts, citing concerns over the reliability of Starliner's propulsion system. The potential risks of undocking and deorbiting with the issues Starliner experienced were deemed too high. This decision was made to prioritize safety, even though it meant using a competitor's spacecraft. The absence of Boeing representatives during the announcement highlighted the significance of the decision.

15:03

🌌 Contingency Plans and Future Implications for Starliner

With the decision to return astronauts on Crew Dragon, Boeing will conduct an uncrewed return of Starliner. This will involve an autonomous undocking, deorbit burn, and landing. The mission's extension and the need for a safe haven before the arrival of Crew Dragon have led to contingency plans involving the current ISS crew and spacecraft. The future of the Starliner program remains uncertain, with the first operational mission scheduled for 2025, but the recent events may lead to reviews or even cancellations, affecting Boeing's reputation and financial commitments.

Keywords

💡Starliner

Starliner is a spacecraft developed by Boeing as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. It is designed to transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS). In the video script, Starliner's mission is central as it discusses the decision to not have astronauts Butch and Sunny return on it due to technical issues, highlighting the spacecraft's critical role in the narrative.

💡Crew Dragon

Crew Dragon is a spacecraft developed by SpaceX, also for NASA's Commercial Crew Program. It is mentioned in the script as the alternative vehicle for astronauts Butch and Sunny to return to Earth, emphasizing the role of both SpaceX and Crew Dragon in the context of the Starliner mission and the importance of having backup options in space travel.

💡Reaction Control System (RCS) Thrusters

RCS thrusters are small rocket engines used by spacecraft for attitude control and translation in space. In the script, issues with Starliner's RCS thrusters are a significant problem, leading to delays and the eventual decision to not use Starliner for the return trip. This illustrates the critical nature of these thrusters for the safe operation of spacecraft.

💡Helium leaks

Helium leaks refer to the unintended escape of helium gas from a spacecraft's systems. In the context of the video, Starliner experienced multiple helium leaks, which were a major concern for NASA and contributed to the decision to not use it for the return trip. Helium is often used in spacecraft for pressurizing systems, and leaks can compromise the integrity and safety of a mission.

💡International Space Station (ISS)

The ISS is a habitable artificial satellite orbiting Earth, serving as a research laboratory and home to astronauts from various countries. The script discusses how Starliner was intended to dock with the ISS, and how ongoing issues with the spacecraft affected this mission, underlining the ISS's role as a key destination for crewed space missions.

💡Undocking

Undocking refers to the process of disconnecting a spacecraft from the ISS or another vehicle in space. The script mentions the decision to have Starliner undock autonomously without crew due to safety concerns, highlighting the technical challenges and risks involved in such maneuvers.

💡Deorbit

Deorbit is the process of moving a spacecraft out of its orbit and guiding it to re-enter a celestial body's atmosphere. In the script, the discussion about Starliner's deorbit burn is crucial as it is part of the plan for the spacecraft to return to Earth safely without crew on board.

💡Commercial Crew Program

The Commercial Crew Program is a NASA initiative to facilitate the development of crew transportation vehicles by private companies like Boeing and SpaceX. The script discusses the Starliner and Crew Dragon spacecraft, both of which are part of this program, emphasizing the program's goal to enable reliable and cost-effective human spaceflight.

💡Flight Test

A flight test is a series of trials conducted to evaluate the performance and safety of a new aircraft or spacecraft. The video script refers to the Starliner mission as a flight test, indicating that it was a critical phase in the development and certification process, where various issues were identified and addressed.

💡Safe Haven

In the context of the script, a safe haven refers to a spacecraft that can serve as a refuge for astronauts in case of emergencies. The Crew Dragon Endeavor is mentioned as a potential safe haven for astronauts if their designated return vehicle, Starliner, is not available, illustrating the importance of contingency planning in space missions.

💡Expedition 72

Expedition 72 is a mission to the ISS, and in the script, it is noted that astronauts Butch and Sunny will join this expedition after the arrival of Crew 9. This keyword highlights the ongoing nature of ISS missions and how different crews work in rotation to maintain the station's operations.

Highlights

NASA confirmed that astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams will return on SpaceX's Crew Dragon instead of Boeing's Starliner.

This decision has significant implications for the future of Boeing's Starliner program.

The astronauts expressed confidence in the Starliner's ability to return safely.

Boeing's Starliner experienced issues with its reaction control system thrusters during the approach to the International Space Station.

The thruster issues were caused by the Starliner's software disabling them due to incorrect parameters.

Boeing and NASA were able to restore four out of five thrusters by individual firing tests.

The investigation into the thruster issue revealed a previously unseen swelling on the Teflon seat.

Starliner also had problems with helium leaks in its propulsion system.

Boeing had to use extra helium to repressurize the system, which was a concern for the return mission.

A fifth helium leak was discovered during the mission, adding to the concerns about the spacecraft's safety.

The mission faced multiple delays, with the return date being pushed back several times.

NASA and Boeing decided that the risks associated with Starliner's propulsion system were too high for a crewed return.

The decision to use Crew Dragon for the return flight was made to ensure the safety of the astronauts.

Boeing will conduct an autonomous uncrewed return of Starliner to Earth.

The Crew Dragon spacecraft from the Crew 8 mission will serve as a safe haven for the ISS crew during the transition.

The crew assignments for the Crew 9 mission, which will bring Butch and Sunny back to Earth, are still being finalized.

The Starliner program's future is uncertain, with the first operational mission scheduled for 2025.

Transcripts

the decision has finally been made NASA

just confirmed Butch and sunny will not

return on Starliner but instead spacex's

crew Dragon this is a huge decision that

has colossal consequences on the future

of Boeing Starliner so we're going to

dive through the last 80 days of testing

and decision making and what's next for

these two astronauts Boeing and the

starer program

[Music]

[Applause]

with NASA making one of the biggest

decisions in the agency's history how do

we end up here feel really comfortable

about return now with that happening I

feel confident that if we had to if

there was a problem with the

International Space Station we can get

in our spacecraft and we can undock talk

to our team and figure out the best way

to come home plan has played out really

well in addition it's given us

additional confidence to undock and and

return and the Boeing team is um 100%

behind their vehicle they have

confidence in their vehicle that's what

we would like from them that they have

worked on it so hard and believe in it

so strongly that they would be a

tremendous uh supporter for a return on

their vehicle NASA has decided that

Butch and sunny will return with crew n

next February okay that's a let's break

that down and return to June 5th 2024 at

1452 and 15 seconds exactly UTC or 1052

local time ula's Atlas 5 with Starline

Calypso on top ascended from space

launch complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral

space force station in Florida returning

human space likee capabilities to this

side of the peninsula for the first time

since the Saturn program initially the

mission appeared to be progressing Nally

with Starliner separating from the cent3

upper stage and conducting its orbital

insert burn to put it on course for a

rendevu with the International Space

Station but and sunny even conducted a

manual flying demonstration where they

were able to manually Point Starliner

using the hand controller whilst

traveling through space however as we

would learn the following day this

mission was far from Problem free as it

approached the International Space

Station Starin Calypso began to suffer

issues with five of its reaction control

system or RCS thrusters these are the

smaller thrusters which spacecraft used

in order to rotate and translate in the

vacuum of space and they are critical

pieces of Hardware when Rend Ving let

alone docking with the space station

these thrusters were going offline

because of the way the Starliner

software was written by Boeing in the

event that one of the thrusters

parameters is out of bounds with a

slower than expected ramp up to full

power or lower thrust than expected as

examples the software automatically

completely disables it because of the

five thrusters going offline at various

points throughout the process the

docking itself was delayed for over an

hour as the I s s controllers wanted to

keep Starliner outside of their 200 M

so-called keep out sphere whilst its

thrusters were unreliable in the

briefing immediately following the

docking NASA and Boeing said that they

were able to return four out of the five

thrusters to operation by firing each

Thruster individually to ensure they

were working as expected at at Whit

Sands we we were excited and that was

really a turning point in that we were

able to replicate uh the loss of thrust

we simulated the the uphill profile in

other words how the thrusters fired from

the launch sequence into on orbit all

the way to docking we did two of those

uphill sequences and then we did a

number of downhills and so we were

encouraged when we saw that we could

actually see thrust degradation in those

downhill runs once we took the Thruster

apart and we looked at the the valve on

the oxide oxidizer side we saw this

swelling on the Teflon seat which uh

when we talked to the the vendor J

rodine they had never seen this before

in this particular Thruster and so

initially we were somewhat excited by

replicating the damage but or the

degradation and the thrust but then when

we looked a little more closely we saw

this swelling on the Teflon and then

that gave us a whole new uh idea of the

physics involved in the failure mode the

thrusters shutting themselves down

weren't the only issues with star

liner's propulsion system however the

helium atoms inside of the vehicle

decided they wanted to escape and two

leaks were detected prior to do which

were in addition to an original helium

leak detected before launch to allow

this docking to go ahead Boeing had to

use extra helium to repressurize the

propulsion system which they did and

then to make the headlines even worse

Starliner developed a fourth helium leak

after docking to the ISS however docking

to the ISS was actually quite beneficial

for the evaluation of these leaks

because when docked Boeing is able to

close the propulsion system manifolds

which in turn stops the helium from

leaking Bing's vice president and

commercial crew program manager Mark

nappy said at the time that these issues

were quote pretty small and he didn't

see these as quote significant at all

those are pretty small really issues to

go deal with and we'll figure them out

for the next mission uh so I I don't see

these as significant at all so that was

the playing field for the start of but

and sunny stay aboard the ISS Starliner

had some issues but the Boeing VP in

charge of the program said that these

issues weren't significant so it was

considered to be plain sailing nominal

operations from here Boeing still had 70

hours of helium left on board Starliner

and they only needed 7 hours of those to

undock deorbit and return the crew back

home or at least it was until June 10th

when NASA quietly included a line in

their latest update to the crew flight

test blog quote teams currently are

assessing what impact if any five small

leagues in the service module helium

manifolds would have on the remainder of

the mission that's right they had

announced a fifth leak on the the

service module which actually started

during the previous briefing hence why

NASA hadn't mentioned it until this

point This was later confirmed to be

much smaller than the prior four but

still it's one more leak than they had

before then came the raft of delays that

have become synonymous with the crew

flight test mission first on June 14th

NASA announced a delay to June 18th then

on the 18th it was extended to the 25th

then to early July without a firm date

then perhaps to the end of July and then

on July 25th they said they still hadn't

set a date at this point either they

were coming home tomorrow or the launch

of spacex's crew 9 rotation flight was

being delayed and it was the latter

originally slated for August 18th crew 9

was pushed to a not earlier than date of

September 24th giving NASA and buring an

extra month and a half of time to figure

out what on Earth they were going to do

to resolve the Starliner issues with one

final delay the deadline shifted from

mid August to late August and well that

day is today NASA astronauts Butch

Wilmore and sunny Williams commander and

pilot of the Starliner crew flight test

respective have now been in space for 80

Days exactly 10 times longer than the

original scheduled Mission duration

unlike some of the headlines you may

have read whilst browsing through the

internet over the last few weeks bridge

and sunny are not stranded aboard the

ISS that might sound strange given the

circumstances but they're not stuck

they're not running out of food they're

not running out of water or oxygen and

they also have a way to come home even

if it's not going to be the same ride

they took on the way up the station is

constantly supplied by multiple

different cargo vehic vehicles and has

reserves to run for months and months

even if the resupply ships stop coming

if anything they are both probably happy

to stay in space for longer helping the

other Crews on station to get through

all of the tasks and helping carry out

research inside the orbiting laboratory

of course it is probably taxing on the

sentimental side of things taking longer

to come back home and be with their

loved ones and missing events back on

the ground but astronauts are train for

this they are aware of these challenges

they know these things happen and

they're ready for it I mean think about

it they're astronauts it's not an easy

job so whoever is called upon to serve

in one of the riskiest jobs on the

planet and off the planet is for sure

ready for this type of thing we all went

into this knowing that this is a flight

test and with that it is it it does come

with some risk and again buts and sunny

were aware of that uh when they accepted

this Mission and they understand that

throughout a mission extension by itself

is not inherent bad this mission was

always designed to be a minimum of 8

days long meaning that there was always

room for it to be extended there are

actually many examples of other crew

missions being extended for multiple

reasons and as a matter of fact spacex's

demo 2 mission with Bob Benin and Doug

Hurley their equivalent of the Starliner

crew flight test was also extended

although that mission extension came

months before the launch took place and

it was in order for the crew to be part

of the station's Expedition 63 crew a

recent example more similar to Starliner

story is the case of the crew of so's

ms22 after a couple of months dock to

the station this spacecraft suffered a

coolant leak on its service module that

rendered it unsafe for a nominal return

to Earth its crew had to remain inside

the ISS for an entire year instead of

the usual six-month stay and they also

came back on so ms23 a different

spacecraft than the one they had used on

the way up so why and more importantly

how did NASA reach this conclusion it's

an enormous decision to make sending

Butch and sunny home on the competitor

spacecraft so it is a big deal to pick

Dragon over Starliner the easiest way to

explain it is that NASA can't trust star

liner's propulsion system the multiple

helium leaks detected in the Thruster

shutdowns whilst transiting to and

docked at the International Space

Station just posed too greater risk for

a crude undocking and deorbit and let's

be clear here space flight is inherently

risky that's just part of the game but

if there is any doubt anywhere within

the agency it's much better to ER on the

side of caution even with the

implications it could have it is a

trying to turn around the

culture that first led to the loss of

Challenger and then led to the loss of

Colombia where obvious mistakes were not

being brought forth in the event that

too many thrusters went offline during

star liner's undocking and or the

deorbit burn that could leave Starliner

stuck in orbit unable to return back to

Earth or perhaps the helium system would

leak so much Starliner just runs out of

it those are the types of scenarios that

would have been playing through the

mines at Nasa and Boeing and they needed

to make the decision on how to make sure

that doesn't ever happen NASA has openly

acknowledged before during media

briefings that there was disagreement

within the agency as to whether

Starliner was safe enough for a crude

turn or not and at the end of the day

the decision will keep rising up the

ranks until it ends up on the desk of

NASA administrator Bill Nelson it is far

far better for Butch and sunny to return

on Dragon freedom and Starin Calypso to

return to Earth uncrewed without issue

than it is to risk a loss of crew an

interesting note also is that in the

latest conference when administrator

Nelson announced that Butch and sunny

would be returning on crew 9 there were

no Boeing Representatives every single

panelist was from NASA Bill Nelson did

say he had just spoken to Boeing CEO

Kelly orberg but alas nobody from Boeing

was there to answer our questions the

reason Boeing's not here is is is it was

a NASA decision today crude un crude

that was the focus of this review and so

we thought it was reasonable to have

just NASA on this panel I will note

however that Boeing space on X has

posted a statement saying quote we

continue to focus first and foremost on

the safety of the crew and spacecraft we

are EX executing the mission as

determined by NASA and we are preparing

the spacecraft for a safe and successful

un crude return it should also be

pointed out that 2024 is a presidential

election year in the United States so

naturally it was asked in the conference

if politics took any part in this

decision I have seen some speculation in

the press that because we are in an

election season that

decisions may have been made with regard

to uh this

announced today with regard to an

election absolutely has nothing to do

with it and as long as I'm around here

it's not going to with that said the

next item on the agenda for staler is to

attempt a return back to Earth and

because NASA has decided it isn't safe

enough for but and sunny to be on board

Boeing will be conducting an autonomous

uncrewed undocking deorbit burn and

landing in the Southwest United States

during the briefing NASA did not specify

a date of when that undocking will take

place however it has to take place

before the crew 9 Mission launches if

NASA wishes to have a crew Handover on

board the station there are only two

docking adapters attached to the ISS

capable of handling dragon and Starliner

and well three spacecraft just won't fit

into two docking ports earlier you

mentioned that there would be a

simplified undocking procedure can you

kind of explain what that means of what

this undocking would be like compared to

say with crew uh and what the

contingency would be if there is an

issue at some point with that undocking

and burn away from the station and so

normally we would back away from the

space station um essentially go uh out

in front and then above the space

station and then eventually end up below

the space station and then on a

trajectory that that goes beneath and

and out in front of the space station

that was our normal U what we'll do is

we'll go through a AEP sequence that

puts us on I would say What's called a a

pag grade trajectory and so we'll end up

going essentially phasing out behind the

space station to a safe distance and

then we'll get away from the space

station execute the de at burn so uh

We've tested this step sequence it is

already in the software it's it's one of

the breakout sequences that are already

in the software and so what we'll do is

just go command that sequence early uh

and use that to get away more quickly

because Starliner will be undocking

prior to the arrival of crew 9 their new

ride home they need a safe haven which

isn't starl a Calypso or Dragon freedom

because there will be a period of time

where neither of them are docked to the

station and that's why the dragon

serving The Crew 8 mission crew Dragon

Endeavor will become the safe haven for

six ISS crew members the original four

from Kuwait plus BR and sunny in the

very unlikely event that the ISS becomes

uninhabitable for any reason or for

example controllers on the ground

believe there is a risk of being struck

by space debris the crew on board need

somewhere to evacuate to somewhere to

shelter in order to stay safe that is

normally always their designated return

vehicle if astronauts A and B are from a

soy and astronauts C and D are from a

dragon then A and B would use soyers as

their safe haven and C and D would use

Dragon as their safe haven but of course

when your return vehicle hasn't actually

arrived yet you need a different vehicle

to be your safe haven therefore crew8

Dragon Endeavor will be outfitted for

Butch and sunny to return on the cargo

pet at the AFT of the capsule so it can

act as this safe haven for them I will

reiterate however that this is not the

the plan it is just a contingency in

case something happens before crew 9

arrives and speaking of crew 9 they've

still got to launch but who are they is

an interesting question because Butch

and sunny have been assigned to two of

the four seats on the downward leg of

the mission NASA has to leave two seats

empty on the upward leg NASA still would

not confirm who would be flying and who

wouldn't be flying on crew 9 however we

highly suspect based on rumors and our

own estimations that NASA's Nick hag and

Stephanie Wilson originally the pilot

and Mission Specialist of crew n

respectively will be making way for

Butch and sunny crew n Mission will now

configure Dragon for two crew members

and will provide seats for Butch and

sunny to return we're also working to

finalize those crew assignments and

update the training plan this is to

allow the seat barter agreement between

NASA and Rose Kosmos to continue so

NASA's Zena Cardman will continue in her

role as commander of crew 9 whereas Rose

cosmos's Alexander gerov will

essentially get an upgrade to Pilot of

crew 9 the first time a Russian has

piloted an American spacecraft once crew

9 arrives at the ISS Butch and sunny

will become a part of that crew and

Expedition 72 taking on the jobs of

Hagen Wilson conducting scientific

research and living the astronaut life

until next February that's the scheduled

return month for crew 9 when Dragon

Freedom will undock deorbit and splash

down in the Pacific Ocean concluding an

approximately 9month mission for br

Wilmore and sunny Williams as I said

before though astronauts are aware of

these challenges before they ever step

foot in a spacecraft that duration of a

mission is not inherently a big deal

NASA has conducted longer missions

multiple times before and the overall

continuous space flight duration record

is held by Valeri poov at

4377 days long that's over 14 months

assuming Starliner Calypso is able to

conduct a full re-entry and Landing

successfully Boeing and NASA will be

conducting significant analysis of what

they can considering that they only get

the caps your back these Thruster and

helium issues have been on the service

module which is separated prior to

re-entry and will burn up in the

atmosphere there is no way to return

this Hardware to the ground multiple

times in multiple previous briefings

NASA officials have said that star liner

could still be certified to conduct

operational missions without returning a

crew home during its flight test some

may see that as an unexpected Outlook

but if NASA is confident in the vehicle

for future operations then it's their

call where they want to put their crew

Starliner 1 the first operational

mission of Starliner is currently

scheduled for the Autumn of 2025 but it

is double booked with spacex's crew 11

in the event that more time is needed

there's also a chance that there will be

calls from political figures or perhaps

even Boeing themselves for reviews into

or perhaps even a cancellation of the

Starliner program the commercial crew

contract awarded by NASA to SpaceX and

Boe is a fixed price contract that means

you get that amount of money and nothing

else the this is different to the

previous standard of Cost Plus contracts

where NASA would fit the bill no matter

what to date buring has spent its

awarded money so now it's footing the

bill itself for future Starliner

development either way this situation

will still not be a good look for boing

the company has seen multiple problems

with its commercial airplanes division

for years including the groundings of

the 737 Max following the 2 7378 max

crashes in 2018 and 2019 then the 7379

max being grounded again due to a door

plug popping out during an Alaska

Airlines flight at the start of this

year the endless delays with its Tri 7x

program and now the spacecraft side of

the business has had the Starliner CFT

mission to contend with the future of

this program is going to be interesting

no matter the outcome we're here every

Friday with this week in space fled our

weekly space news show and if it's not

in your routine to watch it yet then it

totally should be it's basically like

this video except squeeze it down to 3

minutes do lots of them in a row and

throwing in some launches throwing lisia

as well and yeah you need to watch it we

have been and will continue to be

keeping up with the Starliner program

over there for now I've been Ryan Kaden

for NSF thanks for watching and goodbye