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03:10

After the first manned flight of Boeing's Starliner manned spacecraft was launched on June 5, it was originally planned to separate from the International Space Station and return on June 14, but due to thruster failure, helium leakage and other problems, the return time was postponed several times. NASA has previously stated that the Starliner can dock at the International Space Station for up to 45 days, that is, until July 21, but if it relies on the backup system, the docking can be extended to 90 days, that is, until early September.

According to outside observations, the spacecraft is currently undergoing emergency repairs at the space station using a robotic arm, but it is still unclear whether it can be repaired to ensure a safe return.

Boeing's "Starliner" manned spacecraft and Musk's SpaceX's "Dragon" are two types of manned spacecraft developed after the US space shuttle was retired in 2011. The original plan was that both types of spacecraft would be able to carry out manned flight missions in 2017, but neither company was able to complete it on time. Therefore, for almost 10 years, the United States had to rely on Russian manned spacecraft to enter and exit the International Space Station.

Fortunately, Musk's SpaceX's "Dragon Spacecraft" completed a manned test flight in May 2020, and has carried out 13 manned space missions so far. On the contrary, the development of the "Starliner" by the veteran aerospace giant Boeing has been full of twists and turns, and Boeing has overspent $1.5 billion on this project.

Musk once tweeted sarcastically, saying that Boeing received $5 billion for developing manned spacecraft, while SpaceX only received more than $2 billion, but still completed the research and development several years earlier than Boeing.

From this perspective, the product that Boeing spent more than 6 billion US dollars to produce is still unreliable. There have been problems since the test flight of the "Starliner" spacecraft. On December 20, 2019, the first unmanned test flight, an abnormality occurred after takeoff, resulting in failure to enter the preset orbit and unable to dock with the International Space Station.

In August 2021, the second test flight originally planned was postponed due to problems with the propellant valve in the spacecraft's service module. According to US media reports, Boeing spent $600 million to fix a series of problems and failures.

The second unmanned test flight on May 19, 2022, although it finally docked successfully with the International Space Station, two thrusters malfunctioned again.

So, why do people say that the two astronauts who boarded the "Starliner" in June were careless? Because the spacecraft has been unable to get rid of various problems, and indeed, a 9-day trip may now become 90 days.

Of course, this does not mean that these two astronauts cannot come back. The International Space Station itself has two spacecraft, one is the "Dragon spacecraft" and the other is the Russian "Soyuz" spacecraft. If they really can't come back, they can return on one of them, but these two spacecraft are used for the return journey of other astronauts in the International Space Station. If they borrow them, they will have to launch another spacecraft to fill their vacancies, which means NASA will most likely buy another of Musk's "Dragon spacecraft."

However, if it really comes to that, Boeing may not only face loss, but also face a full-scale crisis.

In contrast, SpaceX's "Dragon Spacecraft" is preparing to launch on the 31st of this month, reaching a space orbit of 1,400 kilometers, and then descending to a 700-kilometer orbit for the first commercial space extravehicular activity. The test launch of its subversive vehicle "Starship" has also improved each time. The comparison between the two is simply too obvious.

Boeing is a century-old company and a traditional giant in the U.S. aerospace industry. In recent years, both its civil airliners and spacecraft have encountered frequent problems. While breaking the news, the U.S. media pointed out with concern that Boeing has "systemic quality control problems." Originally, Boeing wanted to use the first manned flight of the "Starliner" to reverse its image with success, but the result once again confirmed the existence and severity of the problem.

Kankan News Reporter: Li Suning

Editor: Li Suning

Editor: Fang Liang