Boeing prepares to bring Starliner home, as spaceship helps restore its reputation
Aerospace giant Boeing is prepping to bring its Starliner capsule back to Earth today, following its successful docking at the International Space Station (ISS) five days ago.
It will be the final step in the test flight, which will prove whether Boeing’s unmanned space vehicle will be a viable option for astronauts being ferried to and from the ISS.
While there was an early issue in two of Starliner’s thrusters, crucial for stabilising in orbit, the second attempt to reach the ISS has so-far been successful, having failed once before in 2019, raising hopes that Boeing’s ship really will put humans on Mars.
Boeing has been building its space division for some time, but is now competing with the likes of SpaceX to provide tech for future NASA missions, such as its Artemis mission to the moon and its Mars exploration programme.
However, with Russia’s Soyuz rocket, which had previously been shipping humans to the ISS, out of action as a result of the country’s invasion of Ukraine, analysts expect there to be a large gap in the market for space launchers.
The Orbital Flight Test-2 has helped restore Boeing’s reputation following previous failures within and outside of its space branch.
The shadow of Boeing’s 737 MAX aircraft, which has come under intense scrutiny following electrical issues and two major accidents, has continued to loom over the aerospace firm.
If all goes well with Starliner’s return home – its final obstacle – the spacecraft will be in the clear to carry humans in another test flight, which could happen by the end of this year.