NASA INSPECTOR GENERAL QUESTIONS BOEING STARLINER CERTIFICATION

A NASA Inspector General report published on Tuesday expressed doubt about whether Boeing's Starliner spacecraft will ever receive human-rating certification for crewed spaceflight. The report, which examined NASA's management of its Commercial Crew Program, noted that Boeing has conducted two orbital flight tests and one crewed flight test, each encountering significant technical issues. The crewed test was ultimately classified as a serious mishap. The report stated that with approximately four years of crewed operations remaining before the International Space Station's planned decommissioning in 2030, NASA and Boeing face limited time to justify their substantial investment in the programme.

Boeing's Starliner has experienced repeated technical failures across its test missions. A 2019 orbital flight test failed to reach the ISS after a software-related mission timing error caused an incorrect orbital insertion burn. A second orbital flight test, initially planned for 2021, was delayed until May 2022 after stuck oxidiser valves were discovered. The May 2022 flight reached the ISS but experienced thruster failures and helium leaks during the mission. By contrast, the Inspector General's report noted that SpaceX successfully worked through its own technical challenges to achieve crewed operations to the ISS.

According to reporting on the Inspector General's findings, Boeing's Starliner certification may now be delayed until 2027, approximately ten years later than the company's original schedule. The programme has been marked by sustained budget overruns at both NASA and Boeing. The Inspector General's assessment suggests the capsule may not progress beyond the testing phase, casting uncertainty over whether it will eventually carry astronauts on operational missions to the space station.