NASA now hints Boeing Starliner crew could return with SpaceX

At a briefing on Wednesday, NASA pushed back the SpaceX Crew-9 launch from mid-August to late September, a move that could allow the two astronauts to return to Earth in the rival vehicle.

Crew-9, however, isn’t due to return to Earth until February next year, meaning an initial eight-day stay could balloon to more than six months. A final decision is expected in weeks.

Boeing’s wider reputation has a lot riding on the spacecraft’s success following the mid-air blowout of a door plug on board an Alaska Airlines MAX 9 in January. That incident significantly came after two MAXs crashed in Indonesia in 2018 and Ethiopia in 2019, killing 346 people and leading to claims there was a poor safety culture at the planemaker.

The Boeing-made Starliner finally blasted off to the ISS in June on its historic first crewed mission after a series of delays.

The spacecraft was due to return after just a week, but issues with both the thrusters and helium leaks meant Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore have remained in the space laboratory ever since.

Previously, Boeing and NASA have strongly denied any suggestion the pair would not return on Starliner, despite the potential to send it back home autonomously without crew.

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“This adjustment [of the Crew-9 launch] allows more time for mission managers to finalise return planning for the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test currently docked to the orbiting laboratory,” NASA said in a statement.

“No decisions have been made regarding Starliner’s return.”

The problems with Starliner included five of its 28 manoeuvring thrusters failing during the journey to the ISS, a propellant valve not closing properly, and five helium leaks.

NASA and Boeing are trying to replicate the problem on Earth by test-firing identical thrusters at New Mexico’s White Sands Missile Range in a bid to find a solution.

The organisations have spent weeks playing down concerns regarding Starliner, insisting it remains cleared for return in case of an emergency.

The current mission is the final test flight before NASA certifies the vehicle for regular operational missions starting as soon as next year.

Australian Aviation reported earlier this month how Boeing selected Robert K. “Kelly” Ortberg as its next CEO, replacing Dave Calhoun. Ortberg, significantly, has an engineering background and over 35 years of aerospace experience.

According to Boeing, Ortberg’s previous experience includes positions at Texas Instruments, Rockwell Collins, and RTX, and as former Chair of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) Board of Governors.

“The Board conducted a thorough and extensive search process over the last several months to select the next CEO of Boeing and Kelly has the right skills and experience to lead Boeing in its next chapter,” said Steven Mollenkopf, chair of the Boeing board.

“Kelly is an experienced leader who is deeply respected in the aerospace industry, with a well-earned reputation for building strong teams and running complex engineering and manufacturing companies. We look forward to working with him as he leads Boeing through this consequential period in its long history.”