Former NASA astronaut Tom Jones joined 'Your World' to discuss the decision to keep the Boeing Starliner crew in space for eight months and why the failure belongs to Vice President Kamala Harris, the Chair of the National Space Council.
On June 5, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams went to the International Space Station for an eight-day visit, but now face an eight-month stay due to technical difficulties with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. This debacle has highlighted the incompetence of NASA and Boeing, but also the neglect of Vice President Kamala Harris, who has failed to provide leadership as Chair of the National Space Council.
The National Space Council is tasked with providing a White House level of leadership on space policy and activities, and its leader has a significant opportunity to shape America's future in space. However, Harris has held only one meeting a year, the legal minimum, demonstrating her lack of interest and commitment.
Vice President Harris's Abandoned Astronauts: NASA's Incompetence and Boeing's Failures
As a result of Harris's leadership vacuum, NASA has regressed back into bureaucratic timidity, allowing Boeing to continue absorbing money despite repeated failures and no tangible results. Boeing's Starliner program, awarded a $4.8 billion contract, is now so over budget that it will cost Boeing an additional $1.6 billion to complete.
Boeing's management has overemphasized lobbyists and underemphasized engineers, leading to persistent problems in its commercial aviation, military aviation, and space divisions. In 2023, NASA's inspector general estimated the enormous Boeing Space Launch System would cost $2.2 billion per launch, while SpaceX's Falcon Heavy launch costs are significantly lower.
Vice President Harris's Abandoned Astronauts: NASA's Incompetence and Boeing's Failures
Despite this glaring disparity, Harris's pro-government bureaucracy stance has allowed Boeing to survive despite its cost and failures. Her failure to provide oversight is now coming back to haunt her, leaving the astronauts stranded on the International Space Station.
In contrast, former Vice President Mike Pence aggressively pushed the National Space Council to develop a dynamic program for returning to the Moon and sending Americans to Mars. He also implemented the U.S. Space Force, the first-ever focused military effort to secure space for national defense.
Vice President Harris's Abandoned Astronauts: NASA's Incompetence and Boeing's Failures
Pence held eight different National Space Council meetings, holding people and institutions accountable to achieve real progress. By contrast, Harris has held only one meeting a year – the legal minimum.
The next time you read about the astronauts stranded on the International Space Station, remember who left them there: Vice President Harris. If she had done her job and held Boeing accountable, they would be home.
Vice President Harris's Abandoned Astronauts: NASA's Incompetence and Boeing's Failures
Republican Bob Walker represented Pennsylvania's 16th District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1977 to 1997. While in Congress, he served as Chairman of the Science, Space and Technology Committee (then known as the Science Committee).
