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IT Home reported on August 4 that the success rate of Boeing's Starliner manned spacecraft's return to Earth mission was questioned by insiders. The spacecraft carrying two astronauts was originally scheduled to be Boeing's last test before officially taking over NASA's manned mission. However, the spacecraft had helium leakage and multiple thruster failures after launch.

Despite Boeing's intensive testing on the ground and in orbit, the cause of the failure has not yet been fully identified. According to Ars Technica insider information,SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft is significantly more likely to undertake emergency rescue missions than the successful return of the StarlinerIf NASA loses confidence in the safety of the Starliner spacecraft, there are multiple options for returning astronauts to Earth. For example, SpaceX's upcoming Crew-9 mission could carry two astronauts instead of four, freeing up space for two astronauts. In addition, Crew Dragon could also carry an extra passenger on the return flights of the Crew-8 and Crew-9 missions.

This incident is not only about the safety of astronauts, but also about the fate of the entire Starliner project. If the return mission fails, Boeing may need to conduct additional tests, resulting in a total loss of up to $1.6 billion (IT Home Note: Currently about 11.497 billion yuan). This is also a major blow to NASA, because it will cause the United States' manned space transportation to rely entirely on SpaceX, increasing potential risks.