In recent days, the Boeing Starliner has remained at the center of space industry headlines. NASA and SpaceX delayed the launch of a new replacement crew to the International Space Station, a mission that was supposed to kick off the long-awaited return of American astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. These two astronauts have now been stuck in orbit for nine months after their original Starliner ride, the centerpiece of Boeing’s ambitious crew program, was deemed too risky for return due to unresolved propulsion system issues, according to reporting by Reuters and Asharq Al-Awsat.

NASA had intended to launch the next crew aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule from Florida just days ago, a step necessary to bring Wilmore and Williams home, as their Starliner craft was not cleared to make the return trip. However, bad weather grounded the attempt earlier in the week, and a separate hydraulic clamp issue on the Falcon 9 rocket prompted NASA and SpaceX to call off Wednesday’s launch as well. The agency is now eyeing a launch no earlier than Friday. If all goes according to plan, Wilmore and Williams and their colleagues could finally depart the station next week, ending what was meant to be an eight-day mission but instead has become a protracted ordeal in orbit.

The Starliner’s inability to safely complete its mission has had far-reaching implications for Boeing’s space program. NASA moved up the next rotation a full two weeks, and political pressures mounted as former President Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk called publicly for the astronauts’ immediate return—moves that NASA’s leadership typically do not take from politicians or outside industry. The situation has solidified the perception that Boeing’s crew program is struggling to keep pace with commercial rivals, especially SpaceX, who have continued to make successful, routine flights to and from the ISS.

Meanwhile, Boeing has taken steps to speed up its work in other space domains, recently unveiling a 3D-printed solar array substrate manufacturing process. According to ThomasNet Insights, this technology will sharply reduce build time for satellite solar wings, an effort to inject innovation and efficiency into Boeing’s wider aerospace efforts beyond Starliner.

Listeners following the sector will note that Boeing’s competitors are also facing their own challenges. For example, Northrop Grumman’s new Cygnus XL cargo ship, which was scheduled to arrive at the space station this week, experienced a thruster malfunction after launch and its arrival has been postponed, according to NASA updates reviewed on space.com. All eyes remain on Boeing, however, as the Starliner’s troubles represent a defining trial for the company’s role in the future of US human spaceflight.

Wilmore and Williams have continued research and maintenance work aboard the ISS in good spirits, expressing that they are eager to see family and friends again once they return to Earth, but acknowledging the ordeal has been a true roller coaster for themselves and their loved ones.

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