NASA relies on Starliner spacecraft as SpaceX concludes its operations

The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is planning to order two additional crewed missions for Boeing's Starliner spacecraft soon. According to Ars Technica sources, this decision follows SpaceX's firm intention to phase out its famous Crew Dragon spacecraft. This is reported by Ixbt.com reports. It has become known that the SpaceX leadership has clearly stated its intention to fully conclude the operation of Crew Dragon by 2030 or even earlier. The company's president and COO, Gwynne Shotwell, refused to guarantee future flights, emphasizing that the government should also work with another provider — Boeing.

Risks and past failures of the Starliner program

NASA's reliance on the Starliner spacecraft is being assessed by experts as a serious risk. The vessel has experienced a series of failures over the past period. Specifically, numerous serious technical defects were identified during test flights in 2019 and 2022.

The situation escalated further during the first crewed test in June 2024. At that time, due to engine malfunctions, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams were on the verge of a disaster. Shortly after, NASA officially declared this flight a high-category 'A' emergency incident.

Future tasks and funding

Recall that at that time, for safety reasons, it was necessary to use the competitor SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft to return the astronauts to Earth. Nevertheless, nearly six months later, the agency is forced to bring Boeing back to the center of its primary crewed program.

Under the new agreement, NASA will not only order additional flights but will also partially fund the processes of fixing malfunctions in the Starliner engine system and certifying it for launch using a new rocket. This step is seen as a necessary measure to maintain redundancy in transporting astronauts to the International Space Station in the future.

Yangi kelishuvga koʻra, NASA nafaqat qoʻshimcha parvozlarga buyurtma beradi, balki Starliner dvigatel tizimidagi nosozliklarni bartaraf etish hamda uni yangi raketa yordamida uchirish uchun sertifikatlash jarayonlarini qisman moliyalashtiradi. Ushbu qadam kelgusida Xalqaro kosmik stansiyaga astronavtlarni eltishda muqobillikni saqlab qolish uchun zaruriy chora sifatida koʻrilmoqda.