NASA In Danger Because Of Boeing Catastrophes?
NASA recently announced that it won’t be using Boeing capsules to bring two astronauts back to Earth. While Boeing’s recent history is well known, this setback could also spell trouble for the space agency as it continues to struggle with budget concerns and other mission delays. Of course, the ones probably most disappointed with this turn of events are the astronauts, who will have to wait even longer to make their way back to Earth.
Boeing’s Failures Are Adding Up
NASA’s decision to nix the Boeing capsules from the return mission does make sense, considering the company’s laundry list of issues. The company has steadily been losing the trust of the American public after two of its 737 Max airlines crashed in 2018 and 2019, leading to a death toll of 346. In January, the company saw one of its panels blow off a plane mid-flight.
Astronauts Remain In Space
In short, NASA is making the call to prioritize the safety of the astronauts, even if it means they have to wait to come back until February 2025 as the Boeing Starliner capsule comes back empty. NASA administrator Bill Nelson confirmed this in a statement, saying the decision “is a result of a commitment to safety.” Reportedly, the capsule had issues with its propulsion systems since arriving at the International Space Station, so now it will be returning to Earth without any astronauts on it.
A Multi-Year Contract
With all that being said, NASA’s multi-year contract with Boeing doesn’t add much to the aeronautics company’s bottom line, so losing out on the space agency’s business will be more of a public image issue than a financial issue. Instead, it seems the issues with the Starliner capsules will be more of an issue for NASA, which continues to face budgetary concerns. Fewer options mean less competition for other companies, like SpaceX, who build things for the space agency and bid on NASA contracts.
Growing Budget Issues
NASA saw a big budget setback this year when the U.S. House of Representatives’s Appropriations Committee moved forward with a funding bill that means only a 1 percent increase to the agency’s budget. While this technically means more money, it isn’t close to the pace of inflation and is at least $200 million short of the President’s Budget Request. In other words, NASA’s setback with Boeing is only the beginning of the issues the agency will have with its limited budget in the near future.
NASA’s Ambitious Plans
NASA is currently juggling quite a few ambitious missions like the Artemis mission to return to the Moon, the Mars Sample Return mission, the Habitable Worlds Observatory, and many more. If it doesn’t have the budget necessary, these missions are inevitably going to face numerous delays and even cancellations. NASA’s issue with the Boeing capsule is just the latest cherry on top of its growing concerns.
While numerous scientific organizations and members of Congress are trying to restore NASA’s budget to $9 billion, it might take a while to get there. In the meantime, both NASA and Boeing have some problems to solve. At the very least, hopefully, the astronauts stuck on the ISS can come back in February.
Source: New York Times
