Boeing's Starliner project, aimed at transporting astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS), has faced numerous obstacles and delays, putting the company's position in the commercial crew race in jeopardy. In 2014, Boeing signed a $4.2 billion contract with NASA under the agency's Commercial Crew Program, along with SpaceX, which received a $2.6 billion contract to develop its Crew Dragon capsule.

According to Caleb Henry, Director of Research at Quilty Space, the Commercial Crew Program marked a new venture for NASA as it offloaded some of the responsibilities to the private sector. Initially, there was skepticism in Congress about this approach. However, Boeing's involvement gave confidence to both Congress and NASA to move forward with the program.

However, over the past decade, Boeing has struggled to meet its commitments under the contract. Of the nearly $5 billion received from NASA for the development of the Starliner, $1.5 billion has been spent on covering delay overruns. These challenges have hindered the company's progress in completing the six contracted missions with NASA.

In contrast, SpaceX has seen significant success, completing over a dozen crewed missions since 2020, carrying both NASA astronauts and private citizens to space. This has placed SpaceX ahead in the race for human spaceflight capabilities.

Recently, Boeing conducted its final test, a crucial crewed mission, which needs to be successfully completed before NASA can certify the Starliner for operational missions. This mission serves as a critical milestone for Boeing, as the company aims to regain momentum and demonstrate the capabilities of its long-awaited capsule.

The future of the Starliner project is uncertain, as Boeing struggles to catch up to SpaceX's achievements in human spaceflight. Despite the setbacks, Boeing remains hopeful that the completion of the final test mission will pave the way for future operational missions.

As the commercial crew race unfolds, the competition between Boeing's Starliner and SpaceX's Crew Dragon continues to captivate the industry and space enthusiasts alike. Only time will tell if Boeing can overcome its past challenges and regain its position in the commercial crew market.