'It was heated': Inside the clash between Boeing and NASA over bringing Sunita Williams back to Earth

NASA and Boeing reportedly clashed over how to bring astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore back to Earth after their mission to the International Space Station faced unexpected delays. 

The tension between the two organizations, according to a New York Post story, boiled over during a series of intense meetings, where NASA expressed deep concerns about using Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft for the return journey.

“It was heated,” a NASA executive was quoted as saying in the report, revealing that Boeing was adamant the Starliner was fit for the job despite significant issues with malfunctioning thrusters and helium leaks. 

“Boeing was convinced the Starliner was in good enough condition to bring the astronauts home, and NASA disagreed. Strongly disagreed. The thinking around here was that Boeing was being wildly irresponsible.”

The disagreement stemmed from a series of problems discovered after Williams and Wilmore reached the ISS in June. The astronauts had embarked on what was supposed to be an eight-day mission, only to find themselves stranded due to helium leaks on the Starliner, which were more extensive than initially thought. The leaks were causing the spacecraft’s thrusters to malfunction, raising serious safety concerns.

In the end, NASA overruled Boeing’s push to use the Starliner and opted to have the astronauts return on a SpaceX mission instead, which won’t happen until February—leaving Williams and Wilmore stuck aboard the ISS for nearly eight months. “Boeing wasn’t happy,” the NASA executive admitted, adding, “They made that perfectly clear to us. But what’s the headline if there’s a catastrophic failure? It’s not ‘Boeing killed two astronauts,’ it’s ‘NASA killed two astronauts.’ So no, it’s better safe than sorry.”

The decision to sideline Boeing in favor of its rival, SpaceX, has been a major blow to the aerospace giant. Mark Nappi, head of Boeing’s Commercial Crew Program, acknowledged the setback in an internal email, stating, “I know this is not the decision we had hoped for, but we stand ready to carry out the actions necessary to support NASA’s decision.” He emphasized that the focus remains on the safety of the crew and spacecraft, despite the demoralization within Boeing’s commercial space team.

Boeing employees, already grappling with a series of public relations disasters over the past year, were left reeling from the latest development. The Starliner malfunction is particularly embarrassing given Boeing’s competition with SpaceX, which has successfully completed nine crewed missions with its Crew Dragon capsule and is now tasked with rescuing Williams and Wilmore.

Despite the setbacks, NASA publicly reiterated its partnership with Boeing. During a weekend press conference, NASA spokesman Bowersox emphasized, “We have a contract with Boeing, but it’s to work together to develop this capability for our country.”