NASA Chief Criticizes Boeing Over Failed Space Mission That Stranded Astronauts

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman harshly criticized Boeing and NASA management over the Starliner spacecraft failure that left two astronauts stranded at the International Space Station for over nine months. The mission has been classified as a serious safety incident that could have endangered crew members.

The head of NASA delivered sharp criticism Thursday toward Boeing and space agency leadership regarding the failed Starliner mission that resulted in two astronauts being stranded at the International Space Station for an extended period.

Administrator Jared Isaacman pointed to inadequate leadership and flawed decision-making at Boeing as the root causes of Starliner’s failures. He also criticized NASA management for not stepping in sooner to bring astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams home more rapidly.

The two former test pilots, who have since retired from NASA, remained at the space station for over nine months before returning to Earth aboard a SpaceX vehicle in March.

According to Isaacman, the issues plaguing Starliner need to be thoroughly analyzed and resolved before any future crewed missions can proceed.

Isaacman elevated the classification of Starliner’s problematic maiden crewed voyage to a “Type A mishap,” a designation reserved for incidents that pose potential crew danger. This classification places it in the same category as the Challenger and Columbia shuttle tragedies, which also involved organizational and leadership failures. Isaacman argued that the mission should have received this serious classification from the beginning, noting that internal pressures to maintain Boeing’s involvement and stay on schedule prevented proper oversight.

“This is just about doing the right thing,” he stated. “This is about getting the record straight.”

Engine malfunctions and additional technical issues nearly prevented Wilmore and Williams from successfully docking with the space station after their 2024 launch. Boeing continues to analyze the thruster problems.

“We almost did have a really terrible day,” commented NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya, alluding to the possibility of crew fatalities.

Boeing responded that NASA’s findings will assist the company in advancing crew safety measures and emphasized its commitment to continuing the Starliner program.

No schedule has been established for Boeing’s next Starliner launch, which would be an unmanned cargo mission serving as another safety demonstration before resuming astronaut flights. This indefinite grounding means SpaceX remains the sole American provider of astronaut transportation services.

“Boeing has made substantial progress on corrective actions for technical challenges we encountered and driven significant cultural changes across the team,” the company stated.

Boeing’s Starliner difficulties preceded this problematic crewed mission. The initial unmanned test flight in 2019 reached an incorrect orbit, necessitating a second attempt that encountered its own complications.

Following the retirement of the space shuttle program, NASA contracted both Boeing and SpaceX in 2014 to provide astronaut transportation to and from the orbiting laboratory. These multi-billion dollar agreements have seen SpaceX successfully complete 13 crew missions to the space station since 2020.

Kshatriya acknowledged that NASA must improve its oversight going forward.

“We have to own our part of this,” he said. Regarding Wilmore and Williams, “We failed them.”