NASA officials admitted that the problems with the spacecraft were more serious than first thought, and that the astronauts may not travel home on the Boeing vehicle, after all.
The agency is exploring a backup option for the astronauts, Suni Wiliams and Butch Wilmore, to hitch a ride back to Earth on a vehicle built by Boeing’s competitor SpaceX instead. Their stay in orbit, which was to be as short as eight days, may extend into next year.
The announcement adds more headaches and embarrassment to a troubled year for Boeing, an aerospace giant that has billions of dollars of federal contracts in defense and space and that builds commercial jets flown around the world
@ISIDEWITH4mos4MO
If you were an astronaut, would you feel safe switching to a spacecraft from a different company last minute, and why or why not?
@ISIDEWITH4mos4MO
Considering the extended stay in space due to the spacecraft's issues, how do you think this will affect the astronauts’ physical and mental well-being?
@ISIDEWITH4mos4MO
What are your thoughts on the impact of Boeing's failures on its reputation and the trust we place in companies responsible for human space travel?
