NASA warned of safety risks in delayed private crew launches

NASA auditors warned the space agency faces “significant safety and technical challenges” that need to be solved before astronauts fly in private capsules.

In its report, NASA’s inspector general office noted Boeing and SpaceX are several years late in transporting crews to the International Space Station. The private capsules likely won’t be certified before next summer, according to the report, and NASA should set a realistic timetable to avoid compromising safety.

NASA officials concurred with this and most of the other recommendations in the 53-page audit.

The auditors reported, in the meantime, that NASA overpaid Boeing $287.2 million to keep the company moving forward. Most of this overcharge was unnecessary, they said, a point with which NASA disagreed.

The report shows, on average, a seat on Boeing’s Starliner capsule will cost $90 million, almost double the price of a ride on SpaceX’s crew Dragon, at $55 million. That’s based on a crew of four flying one or two times a year.