🇺🇸▼
For a short time during the very first flight with astronauts aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, a major disaster nearly happened. Recently, NASA officially announced that this mission was a "Type A mishap." This title represents the most serious safety category the agency uses, placing the Starliner Crew Flight Test in the same category as the tragic losses of the Space Shuttle Challenger and Columbia. The announcement, made on February 19, marks a significant shift in how the agency views the events that occurred in the summer of 2024.
The Crew Flight Test launched on June 5, 2024. The mission carried two NASA astronauts, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, to the International Space Station (ISS). Their original plan was to stay at the orbiting lab for a brief ten days to test the spacecraft. The primary goal was to prove that Starliner could safely transport humans to and from the space station. Starliner successfully reached orbit, and docking with the ISS was achieved safely. However, the journey was far from smooth.
During the flight, the spacecraft experienced several thruster failures. These small engines are used to steer and control the vehicle. At a critical moment, the crew temporarily lost control. This technical term describes the ability to precisely maintain the spacecraft's position and trajectory in all directions. Without this control, the ship could not navigate safely or maintain its path through the space environment. Losing control meant the spacecraft could not manage its roll, pitch, or yaw, effectively turning it into a tumbling object in space.
"Flight rules were appropriately challenged, control was recovered, and docking was achieved," NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stated during a press conference. He was reading from a letter he had just sent to all NASA employees, emphasizing the successful recovery of the situation. Yet, he immediately added a crucial warning: "It is worth restating what should be obvious: At that moment, had different decisions been made, had thrusters not been recovered, or had docking been unsuccessful, the outcome of this mission could have been very, very different." This statement highlights how close the team came to a complete disaster.