NASA Calls Boeing Starliner failure as “One of Worst” in Agency History

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Washington: NASA’s current leadership has openly declared that the Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft’s first crewed mission in 2024 was one of the most serious mishaps in the agency’s history, placing the troubled flight in the same category as past major spaceflight disasters. The blunt assessment was released this week as part of a comprehensive internal investigation that scrutinised technical faults and management decisions surrounding the mission.

The crewed Starliner flight, intended to last just over a week, encountered major propulsion and thruster failures shortly after launch. These problems prevented the capsule from safely returning its two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, to Earth forcing them to remain aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for nearly nine months until they could be transported home by a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft in 2025.

In remarks accompanying the release of a 300-page investigative report, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman labelled the incident a “Type A mishap,” the agency’s most severe classification reserved for failures with the potential for serious injury, loss of vehicle, or catastrophe. In doing so, NASA placed the Starliner mission alongside historically grave episodes in its human spaceflight history.

Isaacman was unusually candid in assigning responsibility. While pointing to significant design and engineering deficiencies in Boeing’s hardware, he also criticised NASA’s oversight and leadership, saying flawed decision-making and cultural issues within the program were as consequential as the technical breakdowns themselves. The administrator emphasised that Starliner will not carry another crew until these issues are fully addressed.

Boeing responded by acknowledging the scrutiny but maintaining that it is making progress on corrective measures. The company said it is committed to implementing required technical and organisational reforms before returning Starliner to operational missions.
Photo credit:NASA