NASA and Boeing managers knew their Starliner rocket had a leak before launch, but believed it was too small to pose a threat — as two astronauts now remain stranded on the International Space Station over the issue, they say new reports.
Officials found a helium leak in the problematic Starliner before its June 5 launch, but NASA and Boeing executives said the rocket was good to go because the issue was believed to be too minor to pose a safety threat to spacecraft, CBS News said. The launch date of the missile was already delayed due to another leak.
Then, once in orbit, four more helium leaks developed, with one thruster officially deemed unusable.
The return trip for astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams has now been postponed until at least July 2.
Boeing has borne the brunt of criticism for the Starliner’s current situation.
The company is already under fire following high-profile malfunctions of its planes over the past year, with at least 20 whistleblowers coming forward to voice concerns about safety and quality issues at the aerospace giant.
Wilmore and Williams were due to return home June 13 after a week on the ISS, but their return date remains up in the air as engineers continue to analyze and test for helium leaks and propellant failures on the Starliner, NASA said.
“We are taking our time and following our standard mission management team process,” Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, said in a statement.
“We are letting the data guide our decision-making regarding the management of the small helium system leaks and thruster performance that we observed during rendezvous and docking,” he added.
Stich maintained that despite the problems, NASA still has confidence in Starliner, claiming the spacecraft “is performing well in orbit while docked at the space station.”
NASA officials dismissed the notion that Wilmore and Williams were stuck on the ISS, claiming the pair is still free to undock and fly home at any time if a major problem arises.
But issues and tests conducted by NASA and Boeing call into question whether the Starliner will be able to make its six-hour return trip.
Boeing has spent about $1.5 billion in cost overruns beyond the initial $4.5 billion contract it secured with NASA, which hopes to make the Starliner the second mode of transport to the ISS alongside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon.
The Starliners’ recurring leak issues could threaten that future and further damage Boeing’s already troubled reputation in the aerospace industry.
The company has been plagued by safety concerns since the start of the year, when a door panel blew off an Alaskan Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 after four key bolts appeared to be missing.
Jennifer Homendy, the chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, later pointed to ongoing issues with Boeing’s production line, with several whistleblowers coming forward to say they felt pressured to remain silent when they spotted faults in the line.
Boeing did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.