Boeing has revealed it has suffered another $125 million in losses as a result of the delay in the return of its Starliner spacecraft from the ISS. Space News The company has reportedly disclosed losses in a presentation The company has already filed an application with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, along with more details about its second quarter earnings of the year. The company has already recorded losses of $288 million, “primarily as a result of delaying” the manned flight test mission in 2023.
Starliner's first crewed flight took off in June with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams on board. Boeing's spacecraft was only supposed to remain docked to the ISS for eight days before ferrying astronauts back to Earth, but issues with its hardware prevented the mission from staying on its original schedule.
The company had to examine and find what caused the degradation of Starliner's maneuvering thrusters as it approached the ISS. In addition, the helium leak that caused several delays in the spacecraft's launch also seemed to have worsened. Since June, the company has been putting the spacecraft through a series of tests. Just a few days ago, on July 27, it completed a hot-fire test of Starliner's reaction control system jets and ensured that the vehicle's helium leak rates remained within the acceptable range. The tests were conducted with Williams and Wilmore on board, because they are part of the preparations for the spacecraft's return flight home.
POT saying The test results are still being analyzed, but once Boeing and the agency are satisfied that Starliner is ready, they will set a date for the return flight of Starliner and the astronauts.
