Boeing Indefinitely Delays Starliner Crew Flight Test as New Problems Emerge

Boeing and NASA said today the Crew Flight Test of Boeing’s Starliner commercial crew transportation system, scheduled for July 21, is delayed indefnitely. Two new problems were just discovered and a new date cannot be set until they determine exactly what needs to be done and implement the fixes. Boeing is under a fixed price contract and will have to absorb any additional costs. Just last week, NASA’s panel of outside safety advisors recommended an independent review of the Starliner program, but NASA has not agreed to create one.

In 2014, NASA selected Boeing and SpaceX to develop new commercial crew space transportation systems to ferry crews to and from the International Space Station through Public-Private Partnerships. The companies develop the systems under fixed price contracts, sharing development costs with the government and retaining ownership. NASA purchases services and expects the companies to find other customers to close the business case.

SpaceX was awarded $2.6 billion, while Boeing got $4.2 billion. NASA insisted on two commercial crew providers to ensure redundancy and competition.

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon began flights three years ago and just completed its 10th flight, seven for NASA and three for other customers.

By contrast, Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner has encountered problem after problem. An uncrewed flight test and a crewed flight test are required before the system is certified by NASA to fly government astronauts. A December 2019 uncrewed Orbital Flight Test (OFT) almost ended catastrophically due to software errors. Boeing decided to refly that test before putting anyone aboard, but the first attempt at launching OFT-2 in August 2021 was scrubbed about two hours before launch when 13 propulsion valves wouldn’t open.

OFT-2 finally succeeded last year and they were getting ready for the Crew Flight Test, CFT, with two NASA astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, less than two months from now on July 21.

But today, Mark Nappi, Boeing’s Vice President and General Manager for CST-100 Starliner, told reporters two new issues arose in the past week and they are standing down.

First is a problem with “soft link” fabric sections in the parachute lines that slow the spacecraft for landing at White Sands, New Mexico. Boeing just discovered that years ago data about the strength of those sections was recorded incorrectly. After redoing the tests in recent days, they found the lines do not meet the required safety factor.

Second was discovering that tape wrapped around wiring harnesses inside the spacecraft are flammable. The tape is used “extensively” throughout the spacecraft. Nappi said he wasn’t certain of exactly how much, but it’s on the order of hundreds of feet of tape. They will not replace the tape lest that cause more damage, but are looking at options like covering it with a different wrapping “in the most vulnerable areas.”  They do not yet know the extent to which the spacecraft will have to be disassembled.

In a statement, Boeing said it anticipates the need to do more parachute testing, but did not mention the tape flammability issue.

“Boeing’s priority for Starliner’s Crew Flight Test is the safe launch, docking and return of Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. For that reason, we have recommended to NASA that we reevaluate our launch window to allow for closing out the remaining technical and certification items.

“We were notified by the parachute supplier of an issue, identified through testing, that reduced our safety margin. Our engineering team provided additional analysis and given that, we determined the safest course of action was to stand down for the July launch opportunity.

“We are now determining when we will be ready to launch, but anticipate additional parachute testing. We are committed to the Starliner program and are working closely with NASA to identify a new launch date.”

Nappi said Boeing intends to stick with the program even though it must absorb the extra costs. The company has ongoing discussions about Starliner’s future, but they concern issues like changes needed because they must switch to a different launch vehicle. CFT and the six missions NASA purchased will use the United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V, but that rocket is being phased out.

As of October 2022, Boeing had put in $883 million of its own money to cover the costs of fixing the earlier problems and associated delays.

Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, and Nappi stressed that safety is the top priority and they will fly the mission when the spacecraft is ready. Asked about the prospects for flying this year, Nappi said it was “feasible” but didn’t want to make any commitments.

Stich agreed while emphasizing that NASA remains committed to the Starliner program because it “desperately” needs a second commercial crew provider.

A week ago today, NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel urged NASA to establish an independent review of the Starliner program before launching the CFT mission. Citing “the number of remaining challenges to certification,” ASAP said it “strongly” encouraged NASA to “step back and take a measured look,” perhaps using the NASA Engineering & Safety Center (NESC).  NESC was created after the 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy. ASAP cited parachutes and “battery sidewall rupture risk” as areas of concern.

The next day, NASA and Boeing issued a blog post saying they would only launch when ready and mentioning several problems including the two cited today, but not the ASAP recommendation for an independent review.

During the meeting with reporters this afternoon, Stich said he appreciates ASAP’s recommendation, but NESC experts are already part of every Starliner team and they brief NASA’s Office of Chief Engineer as part of a long-established process.

Stich apparently feels that’s sufficient, but since it is an established process ASAP seems to want something more.

The bottom line is that the launch is delayed indefinitely. Nappi said it would take 5-7 days for Boeing to put together a schedule for how to proceed, but could not say how long it will take to fix the problems and get ready to launch. He and Stich acknowledged everyone is disappointed with the delay, but “proud we’re making the right choices” and “rolling up their sleeves” to get the job done.