Boeing employees feel 'humiliated' as SpaceX steps in to rescue stranded astronauts

NASA’s decision to use SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft to bring home two stranded astronauts from the International Space Station (ISS) has left Boeing employees feeling deeply humiliated. The astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who were sent to the ISS in June on what was intended to be an 8-day mission, now face a six-month delay in their return due to issues with Boeing's Starliner space capsule.

NASA says astronauts stuck on space station will return on SpaceX capsule
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The situation worsened when leaked helium was discovered in the Starliner shortly before launch, and the problem escalated after the spacecraft was launched to the International Space Station. In addition, the capsule’s thrusters will face the difficult task of bringing the astronauts back to Earth.

A Boeing employee from the company's space program in Florida expressed frustration over the situation. "We have had so many embarrassments lately, we’re under a microscope. This just made it, like, 100 times worse," the employee, who wished to remain anonymous, told the New York Post. The worker added, "We hate SpaceX. We talk s–t about them all the time, and now they’re bailing us out."

Credit: AP

The insider revealed that, with morale at an all-time low, many at Boeing are taking their frustrations out on NASA, believing that the space agency's choice to depend on SpaceX was a sabotage to their reputation.

Boeing, however, insists that its Starliner capsule is capable of safely returning the astronauts to Earth, despite the issues it encountered during its maiden crewed flight on June 5. Nonetheless, NASA opted to use SpaceX for the rescue after extensive testing of the Starliner revealed ongoing problems.

Rebuilding trust after repeated delays

Despite the setbacks in the Starliner program, NASA has not indicated any plans to end its collaboration with Boeing. Since 2014, the US space agency has maintained a strategy of having two different vehicles available to transport astronauts to and from the ISS. This approach acts as a safety measure in case one spacecraft encounters problems.

According to a report in AFP, Boeing must now focus on resolving the issues with the Starliner and preparing for a successful re-flight next year with another crew. The company has emphasized that the helium leaks and the thruster problems are fixable, with experts noting that such issues are not entirely unexpected during the early development stages of a new spacecraft.

Credit: NASA

Boeing’s Starliner has completed three orbital tests, two of which were uncrewed. Experts believe that the true performance of the craft will only be evident after several more missions. "It’s really only after maybe you get five missions under your belt that you know how everything is going to behave in space," one expert said, expressing confidence that NASA will continue its partnership with Boeing.

A challenging comparison with SpaceX

The elder aerospace firm is facing more and more negative comparisons with its competitor, SpaceX. When SpaceX was given $2.6 billion for the ISS project in 2014 as opposed to Boeing's $4.2 billion, it was initially viewed as the underdog; nevertheless, over the course of the last four years, the business has emerged as the only supplier of astronaut transportation to the ISS.

Creedit: SpaceX

With its Dragon spacecraft, which has been resupplying the International Space Station (ISS) since 2012, SpaceX has a significant edge. Conversely, despite having a long-standing partnership with NASA, Boeing has had difficulties with standards and quality control, which has resulted in recent setbacks.

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Experts suggest that Boeing’s larger, more bureaucratic structure may be contributing to its difficulties. However, some believe that the roles could reverse in the future. "At some future point, SpaceX will need help, and Boeing will be able to return the favor," one analyst speculated, suggesting that the aerospace industry’s dynamics may eventually shift once more.

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