Boeing employees consider NASA’s decision to use Elon Musk’s SpaceX spacecraft to rescue stranded Starliner astronauts on the International Space Station humiliating.
According to RCO News Agency, NASA’s decision to use SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule to rescue two astronauts from the International Space Station has upset the Boeing Group, which has had problems with its Starliner capsule. Boeing employees feel ashamed and blame NASA for this situation. Meanwhile, NASA cites safety concerns as the reason for choosing the SpaceX spacecraft to carry out the mission to return astronauts to Earth in February 2025.
Boeing employees are upset after NASA announced that its fledgling rival SpaceX, run by Elon Musk, would rescue two astronauts stranded on the International Space Station (ISS), according to The Times of India. The New York Post reported that the problems highlight a series of recent missteps by Boeing, with the aerospace giant feeling “humiliated.”
Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who launched to the International Space Station in June aboard Boeing’s troubled Starliner capsule, were scheduled to spend just eight days in orbit.
Read about NASA’s decision here: Astronauts trapped in the space station will not return to Earth until 2025
However, they now face a six-month delay in returning to Earth, caused by leaking problems with the Starliner’s malfunctioning engines. To solve this challenge, a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft will enter the space station in February 2025 to bring them back home.
This news has disturbed the nerves of Boeing members and it seems that they have lost their spirit. A Florida-based Boeing employee expressed his frustration, reportedly saying, “We’ve been embarrassed a lot lately.” We are under the microscope. It just made things 100 times worse. The employee’s contempt for SpaceX was palpable. He said: We hate SpaceX. We constantly talk behind their backs and now they have become our saviors.
He continued: It is shameful. I’m embarrassed, I’m stunned. As internal tensions run high, many at Boeing blame NASA for what they see as a public humiliation.
NASA’s decision to turn to SpaceX came after more than two months of evaluating Starliner’s performance. Despite Boeing’s assurances that the capsule would be suitable for returning Wilmore and Williams home, NASA deemed it too dangerous.
“We believed the Starliner could bring them home safely, but NASA didn’t want that to happen,” the Boeing employee explained. They have their PR issues and they don’t need two dead astronauts.
Steve Stich, director of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, noted that there were “slight differences on the risk assessment” in the negotiations with Boeing. While Boeing declined to comment directly on NASA’s decision, the company stressed its focus on making sure the Starliner could eventually return to Earth without issue. Boeing is primarily focused on crew and spacecraft safety, the company says.
Starliner’s woes add to Boeing’s growing woes, which are already more than $1.5 billion in cost overruns on a $4.5 billion contract with NASA and have a host of safety concerns.
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