NASA chose Elon Musk's SpaceX to rescue stranded astronauts in space

NASA He has chosen and made an important decision SpaceX Dragon capsule Another setback for the space agency to rescue two astronauts stranded in space Boeing. The agency announced that it had lost confidence in the capsule Boeing Starliner, Now return to Earth unmanned. As reported IndependentThe rescue mission is scheduled for February 2025.

Sunita Williams And Barry “Butch” Wilmore will be in International Space Station (ISS) Until then, it should be a week-long trip from early June.

NASA administrator Bill NelsonHe said the decision to choose SpaceX was due to a “commitment to safety”. “Our core value is safety,” Nelson told reporters Saturday. Nelson highlighted that the capsule Starliner It will return without a crew, while astronauts will return in February 2025.

Nelson added that he had held talks with Boeing's new CEO. Kelly OrtbergHe promised that the company would continue to work on the problems with the Starliner capsule once it returned to Earth. “I want you to know that Boeing has worked very hard with NASA to get the data necessary to make this decision,” Nelson said.

SpaceXCompany Elon MuskSending astronauts to ISS from 2020. Instead of sending a full crew of four, SpaceX will only send two when it launches. Dragon to the station at the end of September. The group, which included Williams and Wilmore, He will return home in February 2025. According to the former astronaut Ken BowersachsThe decision to choose SpaceX was “unanimous” among NASA officials.

BoeingFor its part, it had previously insisted it was still supporting Starliner despite mechanical problems en route to the ISS on June 6, which was supposed to be an eight-day mission. The June flight, a flagship Boeing development intended to compete with SpaceX for NASA contracts, is the Starliner's first crewed mission to the ISS.

For years, Boeing has experienced a slowdown in production due to safety concerns that have led to a series of federal investigations. A statement The Wall Street Journal indicates that the company is overspending US dollar 1 billion For cash a month, dozens of planes sit outside factories waiting for parts. This parts shortage has hit Boeing at approx 200 flights are almost completed It is also parked at airports, outdoor plants and staff parking lots.

The problems of Boeing They don't end there. The company is also facing a series of lawsuits related to poor manufacturing practices after a door stopper. 737 max 9 Exploded in mid-air Alaska Airlines The month of January. Also, other people's fatal accidents come to mind Maximum number of flightsThey died, one in Indonesia in 2018 and one in Ethiopia in 2019. 346 people.

In a tense Senate hearing in June, Boeing CEO David CalhounIt apologized to the families of the victims and said the company was “absolutely committed” to the safety of future flights. With independent information.