Houston, we’ve encountered a hiccup! Boeing, the iconic company that played a crucial role in landing the first man on the moon, is reportedly considering selling off parts of its space sector, according to the Wall Street Journal. Among the assets being eyed for sale are its troubled Starliner rocket and its operations linked to the International Space Station. These discussions are still in their infancy, and it’s unclear if they will lead to a transaction.
Boeing, which is currently navigating through a financial tempest exacerbated by a prolonged strike halting production, declined to comment on these speculations. The aerospace leader’s Starliner spacecraft has faced a series of setbacks, including development delays and technical glitches, resulting in over $1.8 billion in unplanned expenses. These issues have left two NASA astronauts, transported by Boeing to the ISS, awaiting their return via a SpaceX craft next February.
The potential divestiture marks a stark shift from Boeing’s golden era in space exploration, a journey that includes its contributions to the Apollo missions and the construction of the International Space Station, a marvel that has graced our orbit for a quarter-century. However, the company is expected to retain oversight of the Space Launch System, a pivotal rocket being developed for future lunar expeditions, despite grappling with quality challenges since its inaugural flight two years ago.
Furthermore, Boeing, alongside Lockheed Martin, has been on the hunt for a buyer for their joint rocket-launch venture, United Launch Alliance, for over a year. Boeing’s new CEO, Kelly Ortberg, has been forthright about his strategy of prioritizing the company’s core commercial and defense operations — a vision reinforced by his recent decisions, including the dismissal of the head of Boeing’s defense and space sector, following a $3.1 billion loss against $18.5 billion in revenue in the space business in the first nine months of the current year.
Previously, Boeing had engaged in preliminary discussions with Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin to transition some of its NASA programs to the private space firm. As the future of the International Space Station hangs in the balance with NASA’s plans to de-orbit it by 2030, and with the Starliner’s viability as a safe astronaut transporter still in question, Boeing finds itself at a critical junction in its storied history in space exploration.
#Boeing #NASA #Starliner #SpaceExploration #InternationalSpaceStation #SpaceRace #AerospaceIndustry
