NASA contractor says Boeing Starliner unsafe for crew return

NASA contractor criticizes Boeing's Starliner

NASA contractor Jared Isaacman has publicly criticized Boeing for the ongoing failures with its Starliner spacecraft. Isaacman stated the vehicle, currently docked at the International Space Station, is unsafe to return its two crew members.

Isaacman is a billionaire pilot who commands the Polaris Dawn private astronaut mission for SpaceX. His comments mark the strongest public rebuke from within the aerospace community regarding Starliner's troubled mission.

Starliner remains stuck at the space station

The CST-100 Starliner capsule has been stranded at the ISS since June 6. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams arrived for a planned eight-day stay, but multiple technical problems have prevented their return.

Issues include five helium leaks and failures in several maneuvering thrusters. These problems have forced NASA and Boeing to repeatedly postpone the return flight while engineers analyze the data.

Isaacman cites a "fundamental design problem"

In a social media post, Isaacman argued the issues go beyond mere leaks. He suggested there is a deeper, systemic flaw with the spacecraft's service module.

"It is a fundamental design problem," Isaacman wrote. He directly challenged Boeing's engineering approach, asking, "What is the point of spending billions of dollars and over a decade building a spacecraft that can only perform its core function once?"

Boeing and NASA defend the mission's safety

Both Boeing and NASA have consistently stated that Starliner is cleared to return the astronauts in an emergency. They maintain the extended stay is to gather more data, not due to immediate danger.

Steve Stich, NASA's commercial crew program manager, recently said the teams are "taking our time" to understand the thruster performance. A formal return date has still not been set.

The high stakes of Boeing's spacecraft failures

Starliner's troubles represent a major setback for Boeing and NASA's Commercial Crew Program. The program was designed to create redundant, American-made transportation to the ISS.

Key failures and delays include:

• A failed 2019 uncrewed test flight due to software errors.
• Years of delays and over $1.5 billion in cost overruns absorbed by Boeing.
• The current crewed mission, which has uncovered new, serious propulsion issues.

In contrast, SpaceX's Crew Dragon has successfully completed multiple crew rotation missions for NASA since 2020.

What happens next for the stranded crew

NASA and Boeing continue to analyze the spacecraft's systems at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. The focus is on understanding the thruster failures that occurred during docking.

While officials say Starliner could fly home if necessary, the preferred path is a fully understood, nominal return. The astronauts, Wilmore and Williams, remain aboard the ISS where there is ample supplies and space.

Isaacman's critique underscores the growing frustration with Boeing's performance. As a key NASA partner preparing for his own complex mission, his words carry significant weight in an industry where public criticism between major players is rare.