Houston, We Have A Problem

Alesha Paramasivum • November 4, 2024

On June 5, 2024, Boeing’s Starliner launched in a surge of expectations and a whirlwind of anticipation to the International Space Station (ISS). This test flight was intended to take American astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Suni Williams to the ISS and return them to Earth after eight days. Despite the Starliner’s potential, four leaks were discovered in the spacecraft’s helium tank the day after it launched – a concern that NASA and Boeing had knowledge of prior to the launch. These malfunctions extended Wilmore’s and Williams’ stay from the intended eight days to eight months aboard the space station, as they are now expected to return in February of 2025 via a SpaceX capsule.

The test flight was the first time the Boeing spacecraft carried a human crew, and if the Starliner had been able to successfully carry Wilmore and Williams both to and from the ISS, the spacecraft would have been certified to make routine trips there (NBC News). With this achievement, Boeing hoped to cement NASA’s favor with regards to funding and contracted projects. The competition between aerospace private companies for NASA’s favor began in 2006, when NASA set a goal to have two consistently functional, American-made vehicles capable of shuttling humans to and from the ISS. Their goal originated from the commercial cargo program of 2006, in which NASA began switching from governmental programs to private companies in order to develop reliable vehicles capable of running missions to the ISS. Over time, NASA narrowed its involvement with private companies to Boeing and SpaceX, fueling the competition between the two (Space News). Boeing’s unsuccessful flight delayed NASA’s goal and placed Boeing behind SpaceX, especially given that SpaceX recently accomplished the first privately funded spacewalk on Sept. 12. As a summer intern for Northrop Grumman, a government agency involved in space exploration, senior Maddie Gambin explains her thoughts on the risky launch.

“Government funding is hard to get,” Gambin said. “[Companies] have to take risks because [they are] limited on time. If you [can’t secure] more funding, people get laid off. That might be a reason why [companies thought], ‘it’s a risk, but we’re willing to take it because if we spend more time on [the project], we’re not going to get money [or] people up there at all.’”

With Starliner’s inability to make the return trip, Boeing’s hopes for a certification for routine ISS trips fell short. However, the malfunctions were not a complete surprise to NASA. Before the Starliner launched, engineers noted a small leak in the helium tank, a concern that was dismissed as benign at the time. The launch continued without delay until the day after the spacecraft’s departure when four more helium leaks were discovered (AP News). With helium being a critical gas responsible for pushing propellant to the thrusters, the leaks led to the breakdown of five of the 28 maneuvering thrusters (NBC News). Fortunately, Wilmore and Williams were able to safely arrive at the ISS, but their return aboard the Starliner was promptly canceled.

The controversy of NASA and Boeing’s prior knowledge of the helium leak could create demands to increase policies and regulations of space flight. Although both companies have assured the public that the leak was too minuscule to be considered a concern at the time, some still believe that the launch should have been delayed to completely verify the Starliner’s ability to make the journey, especially because the spacecraft contains passengers. Public queries were only piqued by the Starliner’s previous malfunctions that occurred prior to the June 5 launch, including two failed incidents in both 2019 and 2022, introducing the Starliner’s issues with a helium leak (AP News). This most recent launch was only approved because engineers believed that this leak had been effectively contained and reduced safely, but Boeing’s third failure raises concerns that tests conducted by Boeing and NASA are not thorough enough. Sophomore Samuel Abraham, president of Peninsula’s Space Club, criticizes the actions and risks taken by the two companies.

“When you are in space, if [even] one bolt isn’t tightened enough, people could die,” Abraham said. “The fact that [the astronauts made it to] the International Space Station is a miracle and I think that NASA and Boeing have to take responsibility [for their negligence].”

As these debates continue, Williams and Wilmore remain on the ISS, stocked with enough supplies to last them until their return aboard SpaceX’s capsule in February. BBC News reveals that while the pair are disappointed to not travel back to Earth on the Starliner, “there are so many people on Earth sending [them] messages [that] it makes [them] feel right at home.” Part of their composure originates from their training and experience. Both astronauts were U.S. Navy test pilots until Williams joined NASA in 1998 and Wilmore in 2000. Since then, Williams has spent 322 days in space, including two long-term stays on the ISS, while Wilmore piloted a space shuttle and spent five and a half months on the ISS between 2014 and 2015 (The New York Times).

Experience aside, both reported that their training for the 2024 trip was largely preparation for malfunctions and emergency situations, allowing the pair to remain calm during the unexpected news of their vastly delayed return (BBC News). In their acknowledgment that failures are part of the research and discovery process, Wilmore and Williams admitted that although the Starliner had issues prior to the launch that they had not been comfortable with, they do not feel let down by the two companies. Junior Sneha Ramanuja, president and co-founder of Peninsula’s Rocketry Club, gives her personal insight on the astronauts’ situation.

“[In their position], I would continue to trust NASA,” Ramanuja said. “NASA has been doing this for so many years, and they’ve got so much backing. Obviously, it was irresponsible of them to not pay attention to the [small] failures, but [that’s] a part of the learning process.”

As life on Earth continues and the days pass until the return of Wilmore and Williams in February, Boeing and NASA will return to the drawing board to prepare the Starliner for another attempted launch.