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

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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:

Boeing's Starliner capsule is proceeding with its first Crewed Flight Test (CFT) on June 1st, despite a known "design vulnerability" in its propulsion system and a small, stable helium leak.
The identified design flaw carries a 0.77 percent chance of the capsule being unable to perform a deorbit burn under specific, remote failure cases, though a contingency plan has been developed.
NASA, Boeing, and United Launch Alliance are taking a "calculated risk" with this launch, which follows years of delays and technical issues, as they aim for Starliner to eventually provide crew rotation services 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.