Ron Epstein, senior aerospace and defense analyst at BofA, discusses on The Big Money Show whether it’s time to separate Boeing’s civilian and defense businesses.
Plans to bring them home American astronauts left behind While a launch from the International Space Station is still up in the air, NASA has said it may ask SpaceX to return it to Earth, a move that would deal another blow to embattled aerospace giant Boeing.
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched into space on June 5th aboard Boeing’s Starliner, but are still stuck on the ISS, two months after their scheduled return, after their spacecraft was found to be leaking helium and had problems with its propulsion system.
NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were flight crew members on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which was recovering from a series of problems. (NASA/Getty Images)
Contingency plans have not yet been developed, but NASA is considering sending Wilmore and Williams back to Earth on NASA’s SpaceX Crew 9 mission, which is scheduled to launch in September with two astronauts and return to Earth in February 2025 with four astronauts on board, NASA said in a telephone briefing with reporters earlier this week.
If that happens, it would be the latest in a series of embarrassing and sometimes deadly incidents at Boeing.
Boeing ‘fights challenges’ that have delayed new Air Force One aircraft
Boeing has come under intense scrutiny This comes after a door on one of Alaska Airlines’ planes was blown off in mid-air during a flight in January.
Investigators examine a door plug that blew off an Alaska Airlines plane on January 5, 2024. (NTSB/Fox News)
At least a dozen Boeing whistleblowers have raised concerns about the company’s quality assurance and corporate culture. Alaska Airlines incidentthe aircraft manufacturer is currently under investigation by multiple federal agencies.
Boeing’s new CEO focuses on restoring trust: ‘It’s clear we have a lot of work to do’
Boeing pleaded guilty last month to criminal fraud conspiracy charges to avoid a criminal trial in connection with the Justice Department’s investigation into two fatal crashes involving its 737 Max jetliners.
of Criminal cases The cases relate to two 737 Max jetliner crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people and prompted victims’ families to seek prosecution against Boeing.
Former NASA astronaut Leroy Chao discusses the latest news on the Boeing Starliner and its unexpected return to Earth on “Cavuto: Coast to Coast.”
Boeing hired new CEO Kelly Ortberg to turn the company around, and in a letter to employees on Thursday, his first day on the job, Ortberg acknowledged that “it is clear we have much work to do to restore trust.”
Meanwhile, Boeing is working with NASA on its Starliner spacecraft and the Boeing Flight Crew Test (Boe-CFT), which will be the spacecraft’s first crewed mission.
Boeing headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo: Olivier D’Uglier/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images)
| Ticker | safety | last | change | change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BA | Boeing | 168.87 | +5.63 |
+3.45% |
“While the CFT is currently a crewed mission, we still believe in the capabilities and flight principles of Starliner,” a Boeing spokesperson told Fox Business on Thursday. “Should NASA decide to modify the mission, we will take the steps necessary to configure Starliner for uncrewed return.”
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FOX Business’ Landon Mion and FOX News’ Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.
