After years of delay, first astronauts into space on Boeing Starliner

• Ivo Landman

  editor Online

If all goes well, astronauts will go into space for the first time tonight on a spaceship built by Boeing. It has a name reminiscent of a new aircraft: the CST-100 Starliner.

NASA will have a second means of transport to the ISS with the Starliner, but Boeing in particular will be following the mission intently. The aircraft manufacturer, plagued by bad news, could use some success in space.

Boeing has been under constant fire in recent years due to technical problems with aircraft. First with the 737 Max, and recently with aircraft that suddenly lost a fuselage part, wheel or engine cover.

At the same time, the development of the Starliner did not go smoothly. While competitor SpaceX had a string of successes with the Crew Dragon, Boeing’s cone-shaped capsule had problems with the software, the propulsion system, the rockets, the parachutes and the wiring. As a result, the first manned launch was delayed for years and the project became much more expensive. In total, the group has spent more than 5 billion dollars on it so far.

The setbacks were separate from the troubles with the planes, says space expert Ronald Klompe. “These are two very different departments. But at the core the problems had the same cause: they wanted to do it as cheaply as possible, and that is why certain safety tests were not carried out properly initially. All systems were checked, but no integral tests were done.”

Having learned the hard way, Boeing has now got its affairs in order, thinks space expert Erik Laan of Inholland Space Lab. “When I read the messages, people are now ready for it. The importance of it flight safety has really penetrated, many safety measures have been taken.”

Things could still go wrong during this first flight with astronauts on board, but Laan does not expect any dangerous situations. “There are always backups for the important systems.”

To be on the safe side, NASA has selected two experienced astronauts: Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, both old enough to have seen the first moon landing live on TV. A logical choice, says Klompe. “Two veterans were also selected for the first flight with the Crew Dragon, people with a certain skillset. Both the Dragon and Starliner are highly automated, but there may be a situation where someone has to take over manually. Then you need people who remain cool-headed and do not panic under difficult circumstances.”

Traditionally, the most exciting part of a new spaceship are the launch and landing. For the first time since the end of the Mercury project in 1963, astronauts will go into space again atop an Atlas rocket – albeit a modernized version. But no matter how reliable that rocket is, its use immediately causes a problem, because the Atlas is being taken out of production. There are still copies for six flights.

Boeing’s spacecraft can also be launched by another rocket, such as SpaceX’s Falcon 9 or United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan, but they are not certified for the Starliner. Therefore, new test flights would be necessary. Boeing is already in dire straits, so the question is: is there a future for Boeing’s reusable space taxi?

Laan thinks so. “There is a market for space stations, Boeing sees that too and in principle they are still a good player. In addition, NASA has an interest in keeping the Starliner project alive. The space organization has invested heavily in it and is also paying for this flight, and it’s good to have several capsules to get to the ISS.”

Nevertheless, the future for the new spaceship remains uncertain, says Klompe. The sixth and final operational mission with the Starliner is now planned for 2030, the year in which NASA wants to say goodbye to the ISS. “Then they will hire services from commercial space stations. Axiom, one of the biggest contenders to run such a new station, already hires SpaceX for its space flights with tourists, and not Boeing.”

This test flight must go well in any case, Klompe emphasizes. “Boeing will want to make sure that everything runs smoothly. After so much loss, they will first want to see whether the project is worth further investment.”