A recent NASA audit says Boeing&#x27;s Starliner is once again delayed from being certified. Plus, after acquiring the satellite company Iridium, Rocket Lab has its own constellation: 66 satellites and 14 spares.

Starliner’s delay and Rocket Lab’s big buy. The latest on commercial space. 

Are We There Yet?

Starliners delay and Rocket Labs big buy. The latest on commercial space. You're listening to Are We There Yet, the radio show exploring space exploration. Hi, I'm Brendan Byrne. Boeing's human spacecraft Starliner is still grounded and a recent NASA audit says the rocket may not be certified until next year.

There was a new report from the inspector general that came out that kind of just cast some doubt on when ultimately it will be ready for human flights to the space station. And another report finds NASA's launch facilities at Kennedy Space Center may not be able to handle big rocket launches like Starship. We'll speak with Ars Technica's Eric Berger about these setbacks and how it impacts the future of space exploration. Then, one space company is expanding. Rocket Lab has acquired Iridium.

We'll speak with Main Engine Cutoff's Anthony Colangelo about the significance of this merger. That's ahead on Are We There Yet? Almost a decade ago, NASA awarded SpaceX and Boeing contracts to bring astronauts to the International Space Station and back. When Boeing's spacecraft launched its first crewed mission in 2024, technical issues prompted NASA and Boeing to return the Starliner vehicle without its crew.

Now, a recent NASA audit says Starliner is once again delayed from being certified. And another report from NASA suggests the Kennedy Space Center may not be able to handle launching newer mega rockets like Starship and New Glenn on a regular basis. So, how will NASA's future look with another Starliner delaying and outdated launch facilities? Here to answer those questions is Eric Berger. He's the senior space editor at Ars Technica. Eric, welcome back to Are We There Yet? Thanks very much, Brendan.

Starliner’s delay and Rocket Lab’s big buy. The latest on commercial space.

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.

Starliner’s delay and Rocket Lab’s big buy. The latest on commercial space.

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast, not the earnings call.

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.