NASA Almost Bet Everything on Boeing’s Troubled Starliner—Here’s Why That Changed

It’s hard to imagine a more depressing version of the Boeing Starliner saga, but an insider’s look at the infamous meeting that took place 10 years ago reveals that things could have been a lot worse.

NASA is reportedly considering going all Boeing, choosing the company’s Starliner as the only commercial spacecraft used to transport its astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS), according to an excerpt from the book. Re-entry: SpaceX, Elon Musk and the Reusable Rockets That Launched the Second Space Age by Eric Berger of Ars Technica.

In 2014, NASA awarded Boeing and SpaceX contracts as part of the space agency’s Commercial Crew Program to develop a spacecraft capable of carrying crew and cargo to the ISS. SpaceX is doing very well in its share; as of November 2020, the company has transported eight crew members to the orbiting space station. Meanwhile, when his colleague had a disaster the first time in launching two NASA astronauts; on September 6, Boeing’s Starliner undocked from the ISS and returned to Earth, leaving its crew stranded due to a number of problems that rendered the spacecraft unfit to carry astronauts home.

Starliner was launched from the ISS on June 5, carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunni Williams. The spacecraft remained docked at the space station for three months as ground teams debated whether or not to return the crew to the troubled space station. While boarding the ISS, five of the spacecraft’s thrusters failed and the spacecraft developed five helium leaks, one of which was detected before liftoff. Mission teams conducted tests on the ground to try to identify the main problem behind the thruster glitch before finally deciding to recover the malfunctioning Starliner and return its crew to SpaceX’s Dragon’s orbit.

Considering how things turned out, choosing Boeing as the only commercial partner would have been a very bad move for NASA. At the time, however, Boeing was the more reliable choice while SpaceX led by Elon Musk was a flashy youngster that had not yet had a chance to prove itself. NASA officials are heavily dependent on Boeing, and nearly allocated the company’s entire Commercial Crew budget to the company while leaving SpaceX out.

In Berger’s book, the sources recount that, during a meeting of space advisors and senior NASA officials, the majority chose Boeing over SpaceX. NASA also decided to award the contract to one company instead of choosing two companies because of its tight budget.

“We really didn’t have the budget for two companies at the time,” Phil McAlister, head of NASA’s Commercial Crew program, told Berger. “No one thought we would award two. Every time I said, ‘One or more,’ people stared at me.”

The evaluation board assigned scores to companies based on value, strategic fit, and past performance. SpaceX had the lowest bid of $2.6 billion while Boeing asked for $4.2 billion. When it comes to the other two sectors, Boeing has SpaceX on pace. Ironically, Boeing received an “excellent” rating for mission suitability, meaning its tested ability to safely fly crews to and from the ISS, while SpaceX received an “excellent” rating. Boeing also received a “very high” rating based on past performance, while SpaceX received a “superior” rating.

Ultimately, Boeing’s refusal to conduct in-flight tests of the Starliner’s abort system—the explosives designed to propel the vehicle if the rocket malfunctions during launch—was a key factor. Boeing was only willing to conduct tests of the abort system on the ground, which NASA’s chief of safety and security found the company’s proposal unsatisfactory. Also, SpaceX’s bid has a low asking price, making it possible for NASA to consider choosing two companies instead of one.

The decision was so close that NASA had to rewrite its Commercial Crew contract to include both companies after it had already drafted one that appointed only Boeing, according to Berger.

NASA’s retirement of the Space Shuttle created a need for a new spacecraft for its ISS astronauts. The space agency sought to move away from relying on Russia’s Soyuz for crew transport and invested heavily in building partnerships with private aerospace companies. It is hard to imagine how things would have turned out if NASA had chosen only the Boeing Starliner to transport its astronauts to Earth orbit. In fact, we can—and it’s an absolute nightmare.

SpaceX’s Dragon crew capsule allowed NASA to stop relying on its strained Russian relationship, and gave the space agency access to the ISS at a much lower cost. Boeing, on the other hand, is lagging behind, having lost the initial credibility that its legacy name gave it in the industry. The ongoing story of these two companies shows the growing pains of the aerospace industry, and the need to keep up with its growing needs. If it had invested in Boeing as a safe option instead of choosing to create competition in the industry, NASA would be worse off today.

More: Boeing Would Like Everyone To Stop Saying The Starliner ISS Test Is A Bust