Boeing, NASA Take Calculated Risk with Upcoming Starliner Launch

Starliner crews are contending with what NASA describes as a 'design vulnerability' that could prevent the spacecraft from performing a deorbit burn.

Friday, May 31, 2024 at 03:20 PM ET

Verified

NASA, Boeing, and ULA rolled Starliner and the Atlas V rocket back to the pad at Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Thursday. [Courtesy: Joey Jetton/Boeing Space]

Key Takeaways:

NASA and Boeing are proceeding with the Starliner Crewed Flight Test (CFT) on June 1, despite a newly identified "design vulnerability" in its propulsion system.
This vulnerability carries a 0.77 percent chance of the capsule being unable to perform a deorbit burn for Earth return, though engineers have developed a contingency plan.
The launch follows years of delays and other technical issues, with NASA taking a calculated risk to certify Starliner for future crew rotation missions to the International Space Station alongside SpaceX.

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What NASA describes as a “design vulnerability” in Boeing’s Starliner capsule—a semireusable vessel to low-Earth orbit that the agency is considering for Commercial Crew rotation missions to the International Space Station (ISS)—won’t prevent teams from attempting to launch the spacecraft with humans onboard for the first time this weekend.

NASA and Boeing on Wednesday announced that the Starliner Crewed Flight Test (CFT), intended to be the spacecraft’s final dress rehearsal before the agency certifies it for service missions, is a “go” to proceed for 12:25 p.m. EDT on Saturday, June 1.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.