Boeing Adds $125 Million Starliner Loss As It Finishes Key Test With NASA To Bring Crew Home

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Boeing's Starliner spaceship that's currently docked to the ISS continues to bleed money as the firm's latest SEC filings show that it has booked an additional forward loss of $125 million for the ship. Starliner took to the skies in June, and since then, it's been docked to the ISS as NASA and Boeing run tests related to its thrusters. This has delayed the return date for its crew of two, and as a result, Boeing has increased its loss allocation for Starliner. In its filing, the firm also informs investors that the Starliner program may record additional losses in the future as it builds on $238 million of additional costs already incurred due to its participation in the NASA crewed flight program.

NASA & Boeing Run Key Test On Starliner Ahead Of Crew Return

NASA and Boeing's latest details for Starliner were shared over the weekend when they confirmed that a planned in space hot fire test of the ship's thrusters was carried out. This test aimed to evaluate Starliner's thrusters before the ship undocks from the International Space Station (ISS), and initial results shared by the duo outlined that the thrusters tested had returned to pre flight levels. This test followed Starliner's docking, during which its thrusters lost power and forced the astronauts to take control of the spacecraft.

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The two also tested Starliner's thrusters on Earth and replicated what they believed was the fault behind the thruster power loss at the time of docking. According to details shared by Boeing's Mark Nappi, deformed Teflon inside the faulty thrusters led to inadequate fuel flow, which then contributed to a loss of thrust. Starliner has been delayed since NASA and Boeing can only test the thrusters while they are in space. These thrusters are