Boeing is reportedly thinking of offloading sections of its space business, media reports said. The firm has been a key contractor for NASA for a long time, however, it could be looking into divesting some of its space operations including the Starliner spacecraft and divisions providing support to the International Space Station (ISS), the Wall Street Journal reported citing sources.
Citing the report, Moneycontrol stated that this deal will not include the manufacturer’s Space Launch System unit which is a key component for the NASA mission.
The Starliner spacecraft has been suffering from issues recently with delays and technical problems resulting in more than $1.8 billion in cost overruns. The project was Boeing’s high-profile bid to send off astronauts to the ISS.
However, the Starliner is yet to complete its planned manned mission to the ISS. Two astronauts, who were transported by Boeing, are currently stationed on the ISS and set to return in February via a craft from SpaceX. Notably, SpaceX is one of the big competitors to Boeing.
Boeing has been a big player in the ISS program, contributing towards manufacturing and maintenance of modules that have provided support to the station for decades. The report noted that the ISS is set to retire by the end of the decade as NASA is now focusing on private space station development as a future alternative.
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In addition to these issues, Boeing has been facing problems in its civil aviation business triggered by a strike by 33,000 of its workers which has been going on for five weeks now. As a result, production of the 737 MAX and other wide-body aircraft models like the 767 and 777 has been impacted.
Recently, Kelly Ortberg, CEO, Boeing noted that the company needs to streamline its operations and stabilise amidst these challenges.