What development issue plagued Boeing’s Starliner program relative to SpaceX’s progress?
It faced numerous delays and technical hurdles pushing certification far past initial projections.
While NASA initially intended to maintain robust competition by selecting multiple providers for both crew and cargo transport, the execution showed significant disparities in performance speed. Boeing's Starliner program, intended to be a key redundant provider, struggled significantly during its development phase. This struggle manifested as protracted timelines caused by encountering numerous technical hurdles and subsequent delays. This reality resulted in SpaceX effectively becoming the indispensable workhorse for astronaut transport for several years, as competitors like Boeing were unable to meet their projected operational certification schedules.

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