Boeing Has Faced a Lot of Problems in 2024. Here’s a Breakdown.

Stranded astronauts

The aerospace firm confronted one other high-profile downside in June when NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams traveled to the Worldwide House Station on Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spaceship. It marked the primary time Boeing flew astronauts to area.

The astronauts left Earth on June 5 and have been speculated to return after eight days, however points with Starliner’s thrusters and helium leaks brought on delays. NASA and Boeing started troubleshooting the issues to deliver Wilmore and Williams again dwelling. Nevertheless, in late July, the 2 astronauts have been nonetheless caught on the Worldwide House Station.

NASA’s Business Crew Program supervisor, Steve Stich, mentioned in a press briefing that month that Elon Musk’s SpaceX may deliver dwelling the astronauts if wanted. After working with Boeing to find out whether or not the 2 astronauts may safely return to Earth on Starliner, NASA introduced in August that it selected SpaceX to do the job as a substitute.

“Spaceflight is dangerous,” NASA Administrator Invoice Nelson mentioned throughout a press convention. “Even at its most secure. Even at its most routine. A take a look at flight, by nature, is neither secure nor routine. So, the choice to maintain Butch and Suni aboard the Worldwide House Station, and produce the Boeing Starliner dwelling un-crewed, is a results of a dedication to security.”

The choice was a serious blow to Boeing, which spent $4.2 billion growing Starliner. Wilmore and Williams’ flight was the ultimate step Boeing wanted to clear for NASA to certify Starliner for human spaceflight. It highlighted simply how far Boeing lags behind its competitor, SpaceX.

Wilmore and Williams at the moment are anticipated to return to Earth in 2025 on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spaceship, which launched for the Worldwide House Station in September.