Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, has expressed optimism about Boeing Space under its new leadership. This comes shortly after NASA announced that the two astronauts who traveled to the International Space Station aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft will be returning to Earth via a SpaceX vehicle.
Musk specifically praised the new Boeing CEO, Kelly Ortberg, for spending time in the company’s factories. He believes this is the right approach, emphasizing the importance of manufacturing companies having engineers involved in management. Ortberg took over as CEO from Dave Calhoun earlier this month and announced that he would be based in Seattle, close to the company’s manufacturing facilities in Renton.
The announcement of the SpaceX return for the Starliner astronauts follows a series of delays and technical issues with the spacecraft. Originally, the two astronauts, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, were supposed to return to Earth after approximately eight days in space. However, technical issues discovered while docking with the space station forced a delay.
The Starliner spacecraft has faced numerous setbacks since its inception. Initially scheduled for its first uncrewed test flight in 2015, the mission was delayed until 2019. In that year, the spacecraft failed to reach its intended orbit. In 2022, the spacecraft finally completed its first successful uncrewed flight to the International Space Station.
Musk previously attributed the delays at Boeing to a “too many non-technical managers” at the company. He has consistently maintained the belief that engineering expertise should be present at the management level of manufacturing companies.
The recent decision to return the Starliner astronauts via SpaceX highlights the challenges Boeing has faced with its space program. However, Musk’s optimistic comments suggest he sees potential for improvement under Ortberg’s leadership.
