NASA: NASA admits “tensions” with Boeing over rescue plan for stranded astronauts from the ISS

NASA confirmed on Wednesday the Tension during his recent Conferences with Boeing Executives on the return of two AstronautsButch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) due to malfunctions in Boeing’s Starliner capsulereported AFP.
However, the space agency dismissed reports of any “shoutouts.” The astronauts, who were launched on a week-long mission in June, are now scheduled to be picked up by SpaceX’s Crew 9 mission in February 2025 for safety reasons.
Despite Boeing’s public confidence in Starliner, the executives’ absence from recent NASA briefings fueled rumors of discord. The capsule experienced Engine malfunctions and helium leaks en route to the ISS, prompting NASA to rely on SpaceX for the astronauts’ safe return
Sources cited by the New York Post claimed that there were shouting and arguments during meetings between NASA and Boeing. When asked about these claims, Steve Stich, program manager for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, confirmed the tensions.
“Whenever you attend a meeting of this magnitude and a decision like this is made, there is a certain tension in the room,” Stich said.
He further explained that while Boeing has confidence in its engine degradation model, the NASA team sees the uncertainty in the modeling as a major cause for concern.
“Boeing believed in the model they had developed that tried to predict engine wear for the rest of the flight,” Stich added. “But the NASA team couldn’t get comfortable with it because of the uncertainties in the modeling.”
“I wouldn’t say it was a meeting where there was a lot of shouting,” Stich told reporters. “It was a tense technical discussion where both sides listened carefully to all the data.”
Wilmore and Williams are reportedly in good spirits and keeping in touch with their families. A recent resupply mission provided them with better-fitting suits, eliminating the need to rely on borrowed clothing.
Starliner is scheduled to depart the ISS on Friday evening (Eastern Time). It will then land in the western United States by parachute and airbags early Saturday morning. After undocking, the spacecraft will perform a breakout burn with its engines to ensure it leaves the ISS before heading to Earth.
Had the flight been manned, the ship would have maneuvered closer to the station to take exterior shots. However, NASA assessed the risk of collision as too high because there were no astronauts on board to manually control the Starliner if necessary.