Challenges and Triumphs in the Journey Toward Human Spaceflight
(CNN) Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft just got some not-so-great news. Rather, Boeing craft had its orbit prematurely decay and complete reentry without a crew aboard which left doubts as to whether the vehicle was human-rated. The spacecraft’s return to Earth is good news, but these investigations highlight the challenges — and successes — that are part of Boeing’s effort to refine a crucial vehicle for future NASA missions.
This review will cover the mission info and technical issues as well as what this means for the future of human spaceflight, Boeing’s partnership with NASA that is working to make Starliner a regular transit back-and-forth service for astronauts at ISS.
Mission Overview: The Return Without Crew
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is being designed as one of the first commercial crew vehicles to resume launches in NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and serve as a crucial element for America’s human spaceflight capabilities. The Starliner returned from space on its most recent mission, but instead of being packed with astronauts, it was empty. Though not a total failure, the fact that this landing was unmanned is an indication Starliner is still very much in its testing-and-troubleshooting phase before it will be able to carry NASA astronauts.
The unmanned landing brings an end to a non-stop test run of the long and difficult mission, which was Starliner’s first flight into space intended as a full-up test before crew flights. Despite its dangers, the spacecraft did successfully launch, rendezvous with the ISS, and conduct many of the things required for human spaceflight. The test flight, though successful overall, uncovered technical shortcomings that led Boeing to bypass having astronauts on the first voyage.
This mission for Starliner was to have been an uncrewed step in the process of certifying the vehicle. However, delays and defects have pushed the timetable much further back than expected for those eagerly-anticipated crewed flights.
Technical Issues and Malfunctions: The Roadblocks
Although the Starliner accomplished spacewalks, berthings, and other mission milestones, it had suffered some technical problems during development and testing. In an earlier mission from 2019, a series of software glitches marred the spacecraft’s attempt at reaching the ISS and resulted in Boeing needing to tackle significant issues before it could move on to human spaceflight.
While technical problems remained in this latest test flight, they were not as disastrous as those experienced on the earlier mission. Boeing experienced a series of issues, apparently with Starliner’s propulsion system including valve problems in the vehicle service module. Though the outages aren’t severe enough to have damaged a mission, they do generate questions about reliability concerning the spacecraft with humans on board. Spaceflight is all about safety, and these technical issues cannot be taken lightly if Starliner will ever fly astronauts.
One of the key constraints was trouble with a propulsion valve that postponed capsule deployments. While Boeing engineers spent months correcting the issue, its reappearance on this mission has made the company and NASA return to a more cautious approach with crewed flights.
And the onboard software that directs Starliner through its flight phases still needs more work so it can fly without flaw. Earlier versions of the software had indicated issues with coordination among different flight systems. The company has since worked to fix those issues, but with the spacecraft not expected to be through at least a few successful test missions with its life support software on board becomes an area of concern.
Implications for Future Human Spaceflight
The ongoing troubles with Boeing producing a crew-ready Starliner compared to its competition in NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, SpaceX. Successful crewed flights to and from the ISS are a hallmark of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, which is now NASA’s primary method for getting astronauts into space. Each delay and problem with the technology puts Boeing further behind, in the race to transport NASA astronauts.
While things might be bleak, Boeing still has good relations with NASA at least. NASA has said it still expects Boeing to fix any remaining technical issues and deliver a human-rated space taxi that is safe and reliable. Boeing has been associated with the aerospace industry for a long and it became crucial in the development of earlier space vehicles, which gives Boeing a big leverage in the American Space Future.
That is, as long as Starliner gets that far — and the stakes for both Boeing and NASA would be hard to overstate. NASA’s human spaceflight strategy relies on having more than one crew provider for trips to the ISS, and eventual missions beyond. If Boeing does not deliver, NASA could have a single point of failure (SpaceX) —creating reliance on the Starliner launch is crucial to offering mission redundancy and flexibility.
Boeing and NASA: A Vital Partnership
Notably, Boeing has a long history of involvement with NASA’s spaceflight efforts — the firm worked on spacecraft and launcher design for previous missions like those under the Apollo program. What it is doing with Starliner at the moment is part of NASA’s grander scheme to resurrect American space travel so that there comes a time when foreign ships like Russia’s Soyuz aren’t tightly tied to America.
This enduring relationship forms the foundation of Boeing and NASA’s collaborative effort at every step in validating Starliner for human spaceflight. The Commercial Crew Program has prior conducted a program of funding and technical support to Boeing, an arrangement that remains in effect — including NASA’s ongoing participation in testing the systems with some issues being resolved.
But time is running out. The success of SpaceX with Crew Dragon has added some extra heat for Boeing to take Starliner up the speed, and both NASA and Boeing understand that the urgency is real. Crewed spaceflight associated with NASA’s Artemis program to return humans to the Moon by 2025 needs more than one provider that can deliver. If Boeing’s Starliner performs well in upcoming missions, then it too could be a critical part of these efforts.
The Way Forward for Starliner
On one hand, it was an accomplishment that brought a smile to Boeing; on the other hand, it came with caution as Starliner landed without any of its intended passengers. While this shows the ability of Gridfins to steer and then assist with returning a spacecraft to land on Earth, However, it underscored what other technical flaws still need to be worked out before Starliner is ready for people.
Meanwhile, Boeing plans to conduct more test flights and make the technical fixes on its spacecraft that are necessary. These include tweaking the propulsion system, eliminating bugs from their software, and running intensive safety tests. NASA is still supportive and has hopes that Boeing will turn things around to ensure Starliner plays a central role when it comes time for crewed missions.
Conclusion: A Milestone in the Making
Although discussions about NASA astronauts were not being made from a newly landed Boeing Starliner, the return of this space vehicle to Earth recently is an important part of America’s plans for exploring other planets. Yet the delayed launch provides valuable lessons for improving design before a version of Starliner carries astronauts. There is still a long road ahead, but the support of NASA and advances in technology could lead to BoeingStarliner’s eventual orbit with its reliable human spaceflight future.
In the short term, Boeing and NASA need to iron out any kinks in this latest mission that splashed down 400 km from its intended target, underscoring that space is hard but resilience and ingenuity will always win out.
