The disastrous maiden voyage for Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has been described as a “Type A mishap” by Nasa.
Nasa’s original intent was to partially fund two projects – Boeing’s Starliner and SpaceX’s Dragon – so that it would have multiple options for an astronaut transfer vehicle. After a lengthy and troubled development period, Starliner finally underwent its first launch in June 2024 as part of a mission to send astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station (ISS).
But once it reached the station, the capsule suffered thruster failures and helium leaks during the docking procedure that meant Nasa was not confident enough to let the passengers it had transported take the return trip. Wilmore and Williams were originally scheduled to spend just 10 days aboard the station, but Starliner’s failure meant they were forced to remain there for nine months before a return journey in a SpaceX capsule could be arranged.
After conducting a lengthy investigation...