NASA Expresses Discontent with Boeing's Starliner Program
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Mar 14 2026
0mins
Should l Buy BA?
Source: Fool
- Technical Defects Revealed: NASA's latest report identifies four critical hardware defects in Boeing's Starliner, including five thruster failures and seven leaking helium manifold seals, which led to the failure of the 2024 Crewed Flight Test, directly impacting Boeing's reputation in the aerospace sector.
- Regulatory Oversight Failures: The report criticizes NASA for inadequate oversight of Boeing, resulting in insufficient hardware testing and misdiagnosis of anomalies in previous flights, ultimately classifying the mission as a 'Type A mishap,' which raises operational risks for Boeing significantly.
- Market Competition Considerations: Despite the severe defects, NASA has opted not to cancel the Starliner program, emphasizing the need to maintain competition with SpaceX to avoid reliance on a single transportation provider to the ISS, which is crucial for ensuring price competition and service diversity.
- Limited Future Flight Opportunities: With the ISS scheduled for retirement in 2030, Boeing must resolve Starliner issues within the next two years to complete its six crewed flights under contract, or face a potential loss of at least $1 billion in expected revenue, highlighting the critical nature of timely problem resolution for Boeing's future in space travel.
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Analyst Views on BA
Wall Street analysts forecast BA stock price to rise
16 Analyst Rating
14 Buy
1 Hold
1 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 207.320
Low
150.00
Averages
269.14
High
298.00
Current: 207.320
Low
150.00
Averages
269.14
High
298.00
About BA
The Boeing Company is an aerospace company. Its segments include Commercial Airplanes (BCA), Defense, Space & Security (BDS), and Global Services (BGS). Its BCA segment develops, produces and markets commercial jet aircraft principally for the commercial airline industry worldwide. Its family of commercial jet aircraft in production includes the 737 narrow-body model and the 767, 777 and 787 wide-body models. Its BDS segment is engaged in the research, development, production and modification of manned and unmanned military aircraft and weapons systems for strike, surveillance and mobility. Its BGS segment provides services to its commercial and defense customers worldwide. It sustains aerospace platforms and systems with a range of products and services, including supply chain and logistics management, engineering, maintenance and modifications, upgrades and conversions, spare parts, pilot and maintenance training systems and services, technical and maintenance documents, and others.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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