Boeing’s dreams of becoming a premier spacecraft provider have crumbled as its new space capsule, the CST-100 Starliner, has failed to fly a single person to space. The company has faced significant setbacks and cost overruns, totaling about $1.4 billion, while its competitor SpaceX has successfully launched astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). One top NASA official described Boeing’s inability to get its capsule into regular use as an “existential” challenge. Some speculate that the fixed-price contract structure of the commercial crew program, which differed from Boeing’s traditional cost-plus contracts, may have contributed to the difficulties.
NASA is eager for Boeing to start flying to reduce reliance on SpaceX, but the future of the CST-100 Starliner program remains uncertain. Despite the significant investment, Boeing has struggled to find a positive business case for the program given the uncertain private market for space travel and the lack of commercial space station plans. SpaceX, on the other hand, has demonstrated that successful flights can be good for business, securing additional NASA contracts and flying private citizen missions to the ISS. Boeing’s problems have been largely self-inflicted, with repeated delays, technical challenges, and design flaws. The company’s ability to deliver on vital national interest programs is now at stake as it aims to finally launch the Starliner.
Boeing’s consolidation of major aerospace programs under one division in 2015 is seen as a potential mistake that created more problems. The division combined programs with different requirements and cadences, hindering efficiency. The Starliner program specifically faced a series of issues, including propellant leaks, parachute failures, and computer malfunctions. These problems occurred while Boeing was also dealing with the fallout from the 737 Max disasters. Since then, the company has been working to address and resolve the issues with the Starliner, but the path forward remains uncertain.
