--- title: "Boeing Not Happy With NASA Plan to Return Stranded Astronauts on SpaceX Craft" description: "NASA's plans to return two astronauts on board a SpaceX spacecraft instead of the leaking Starliner has enraged Boeing officials." date: "2024-08-07" modified: "2024-08-07" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/boeing-furious-nasa-plan-return-astronauts-spacex" categories: - "Boeing" - "NASA" - "Space" - "SpaceX" tags: - "boeing" - "NASA" - "the digest" - "the international space station" --- # Boeing Not Happy With NASA Plan to Return Stranded Astronauts on SpaceX Craft ![NASA's plans to return two astronauts on board a SpaceX spacecraft instead of the leaking Starliner has enraged Boeing officials.]() *\Image: NASA / Futurism\* ## Bucket of Bolts NASA is [still hemming and hawing]() over how to return its two astronauts currently stranded on board the International Space Station. Rumors continue to swirl that the space agency is considering making room for Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on board a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, which is [now scheduled]() to arrive at the station in late September. And as the [*Wall Street Journal* reports](), that potential plan has enraged Boeing officials as tensions continue to grow — and [time is running out](). According to the *WSJ*, a review of Starliner's readiness for its return flight was postponed, suggesting not everybody at NASA is convinced that it's safe to fly. That's in stark contrast to Boeing, which [has been adamant]() that Starliner is ready to safely carry Williams and Wilmore back to Earth — a hairy situation for the aerospace giant, which has [already been embroiled in controversy]() for years over its passenger jets [failing in several ways](). ## Risker Act Boeing's Starliner managed to [sputter to the space station]() in early June, despite [springing several helium leaks]() affecting its propulsion system. Ever since, engineers have been poring over the data and testing spare engines back on the ground in an effort to pinpoint the problem. In the face of it all, an official return date for Wilmore and Williams has yet to materialize just over two months into what was initially supposed to be a two-week trip to the ISS. For its part, NASA has yet to make a decision on which spacecraft to use for their return. The stakes are high: Boeing's total losses on Starliner have [grown to a whopping $1.6 billion](), and both it and NASA have committed a total of $6.7 billion to the program since 2010. That's at least [twice as expensive]() as SpaceX's Crew Dragon, which has reliably been doing the exact same job that Starliner is supposed to do for years now. In short, the agency is stuck between a rock and a hard place. It'll need to either risk Williams and Wilmore's lives by sending them back on board Boeing's leaking Starliner, or undercut its multi-billion dollar contract with Boeing by opting for a ride from SpaceX instead — an admission that NASA's over-budget and much-delayed alternative to SpaceX's Dragon *still* isn't ready. **More on Starliner:** *[NASA Pushes Back Next SpaceX Astronaut Launch as Boeing Crisis Deepens]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()