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Boeing's Starliner: A Troubled Odyssey in the New Space Race · Elon Musk Podcast

• 0:00
  Boeing announced Thursday alongside NASA that it would
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  further delay. The inaugural crude launch of
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  its Starliner spacecraft. This setback was by a discovery
• 0:10
  of issues with the spacecraft systems and in an industry where
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  the tiniest oversight could result.
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  In catastrophic failures, the delay might be a disappointing
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  development but is also a necessary one, the crewed flight
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  test of Starliner, the CFT, which was previously scheduled
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  for July 21st was the transported do Oh of NASA
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  astronauts to the International Space Station.
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  However, to new issues with Starliner.
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  Have been discovered compelling bowing to press the pause button
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  once again. Now, one concern revolves around
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  the reliability of the spacecraft's parachute systems
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  while the other involves a particular type of tape, that
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  was unexpectedly found to be combustible during a press
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  conference. Boeing's VP and Starliner
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  manager, Mark nappy, expressed the company stance.
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  He said, we've decided to stand down the Operation for the CFT
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  mission in order to correct these problems.
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  He also stated that the decision to delay was taken up to top
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  levels of Boeing involving the CEO and Starliner is Journey.
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  So far has been a tale of consistent disruptions with a
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  July timeline itself. A result of a postponement from
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  the original April Target. And as of now, a new flight date
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  is pending leaving both NASA and Boeing in a position of
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  uncertainty Boeing as part of NASA's, Commercial crew program
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  has been working on the development of its Starliner
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  spacecraft. A project that has received
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  nearly five billion dollars in contracts and star liners
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  mission was to provide stiff competition for Elon musk's
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  SpaceX, which at this rate is likely to conclude all six of
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  its initially contracted NASA missions before bowing launches
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  its first mission. Now, there was a time when
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  Boeing and SpaceX were seen as equally matched rivals in the
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  This race. And this is because they were
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  going to be sending NASA astronauts into space to the
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  International Space Station. Now.
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  However, due to a series of Developmental setbacks Boeing
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  has found itself lagging. At this point in this is not
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  only affected Boeing status in the space industry, but has also
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  led to considerable Financial loss over.
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  A span of two years. The company has accumulated 833
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  million dollars in losses on the Starliner program, due to delays
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  in the Fixed cost nature of its NASA contract.
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  But despite these difficulties Boeing emphasize that it's still
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  committed to the Starliner project and to carrying out
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  future flights for NASA. In the company's words, it's
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  doggedly working on perfecting its reusable spacecraft, star.
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  Liner designed not only to transport astronauts to the
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  International Space Station, but also to compete with spacex's
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  Dragon capsule directly. Now, the latest delay is not the
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  first for the Airliner though, previously the spacecraft, faced
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  a string of mishaps including a test in 2019, the felt the dock
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  with the International Space Station and another in 2021,
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  there was delayed due to a valve issue.
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  It was only in May of twenty twenty-two, that the Starliner
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  successfully docked with the International Space Station.
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  Now, the Starliner launched, Atop A United launch Alliance
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  Ula, Atlas 5 rocket, a space launch venture between Lockheed
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  Martin and Boeing. Sits at the crossroads of
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  Technology ambition. Now designed to shuttle both
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  crew and cargo into low earth orbit.
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  It is also intended to be reused up to 10 times, mirroring the
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  success of spacex's reusable Rockets.
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  Now the competition was spacex's Dragon crew capsule and Falcon
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  Rockets is fierce and as of now, SpaceX is system is in full
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  operational mode with its first crude test flight, having taken
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  place back in 2020. This was a Metal moment as it
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  marked, the first crude launched from American soil since 2011
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  the year, the space shuttle was retired.
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  Now analyzing the intricacies of the space.
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  Industry isn't always easy for the uninitiated.
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  However SpaceX appears to have gained an edge over the
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  competition by leveraging. Its vertically integrated space
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  business model. Now unlike the traditional Space
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  Industries complex value chain. Space X makes its Rockets the
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  engines for those Rockets. And all spacecraft in-house and
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  also the space suits for those spacecrafts.
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  Now this is a business strategy that seems to have contributed
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  to a more consistent performance.
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  They don't have to rely on outside vendors for any parts of
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  their vehicles if they don't need to.
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  Now despite these setbacks that where the Starliner program,
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  NASA remains supportive. The space agency's visited
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  vision is to maintain a diverse range of suppliers for crew and
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  cargo missions to the International Space.
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  Ocean in Boeing. Despite these hurdles is a
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  significant part of that Vision. You need a backup for SpaceX in
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  case something happens to one of their crew capsules investor is
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  the market analysts are not losing sleep.
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  Over the stern liners troubles though Boeing shares her up.
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  Point six percent, in pre-market trading last Friday performing,
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  similarly to S&P 500 and Dow Jones, Industrial Average
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  features which are both up around 0.5% Boeing space Venture
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  is a small but significant part of its defense space and
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  security business segments, this division generated 6.5 billion
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  dollars in first quarter sales contributing to a total revenue
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  of Seventeen point nine billion dollars.
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  However, it recorded a first quarter operating loss of 212
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  million dollars a predicament more closely related to contract
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  issues of the defense business. Then problems in space now, for
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  most investors, the primary CERN is Boeing's commercial airplane
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  business which is presently on a recovery path.
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  Following the covid-19 induced impact on global air travel.
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  As we went on Friday trading, Boeing stock has appreciated by
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  roughly 48 percent over the past 12 months and in the grand
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  scheme of things. Boeing Starliner Odyssey is a
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  testament to the multifaceted and challenging nature of space
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  exploration altogether. It's another reminder of the
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  complexity of This traditional space business.
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  The difficulties faced by Boeing are significant caution and
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  meticulousness always take precedent over haste in the
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  exploration of the cosmos as The Saga unfolds.
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  One thing's clear though, space is actually really hard and the
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  journey to conquering. It is fraught with difficulties.
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  However as these companies continue to dance with the
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  unknown every setback is an opportunity to learn improve and
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  ultimately Lee to bring Humanity.
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  One step closer to becoming an interplanetary species like Elon
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  Musk wants us to be. Now, in this new space race
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  though, setbacks are temporary, but the resolve to explore and
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  Conquer, as permanent Boeing needs to fix the Starliner.
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  And it's facing numerous challenges and it'll play its
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  part in writing the next chapter of human space exploration.
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  Now, I want to say thank you for everybody who's listening to the
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  show today. I appreciate you.
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  And if you can take a second and hit the follow or subscribe
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  button on whatever podcast platform that you're on right
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  now, I'd greatly appreciate it. Now, please take care of
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  yourselves and each other and I'll see you in the next one.