Boeing's "Starliner" spacecraft is currently docked on the International Space Station. The company's latest filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) shows that it has incurred an additional $125 million in preemptive losses on the spacecraft. Starliner launched in June this year and has been docked at the International Space Station since then. NASA and Boeing are conducting related tests on its thrusters. Therefore, Boeing increased Starliner's loss allocation.
Boeing also told investors in the filing that the Starliner project has incurred $238 million in additional costs due to its participation in NASA's manned flight program, so it may incur more losses in the future.
Over the weekend, NASA and Boeing shared the latest details about the Starliner, confirming that they had conducted a hot space fire test of the spacecraft's thrusters as planned. The purpose of this test was to evaluate Starliner's thrusters before it departs from the International Space Station (ISS), and preliminary results shared by the two companies show that the thrusters under test have returned to pre-flight levels. The test was conducted after Starliner docked. During the docking process, Starliner's thrusters lost power and the astronauts had to take control of the spacecraft.
The pair also tested the Starliner's thrusters on Earth and replicated what they believed was a failure in which the thrusters lost power during docking. According to details provided by Boeing's Mark Nappi, Teflon deformation inside the faulty propeller caused insufficient fuel flow, resulting in a loss of thrust. Starliner has been delayed because NASA and Boeing can only test the thrusters in space. The thrusters are located on the service module, which will be removed during reentry to expose the heat shield when the spacecraft returns.
While it conducts fault diagnosis and space flight testing of "Starliner", Boeing informed investors through documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it has increased its upfront losses on the "Starliner" project by $125 million. This is in addition to a $288 million increase last year after Boeing had to postpone its Crew Flight Test (CFT) due to problems with its Starliner parachutes. These losses are carried forward in time, allowing the company to adjust its tax liability in future years or reporting periods based on certain factors.
Boeing revealed earlier today that teams will conduct learn-to-docking exercises on Tuesday after NASA and Boeing set a date. Teams from Texas, Florida and the International Space Station participated in these simulations, with two astronauts taking part in the maneuvers inside the spacecraft. The Starliner crew replenished their spacecraft's water system on Monday, and they also performed pressure checks on their spacesuits, according to Boeing.
NASA and Boeing will conduct an agency-level review to evaluate data from the thruster testing before deciding on a return date.