Boeing Uncertain About Orion

Back when NASA's new Orion capsule was going to return astronauts to the Moon, Boeing won the contract to build Orion and was pleased to have it. Now, however, a stripped down Orion is to serve as a lifeboat attached to ISS, and only later-- possibly-- will it be upgraded to make it capable of flying deep space missions. Boeing says that changes in a negative way the business case for building the capsule.

Boeing is concerned about President Obama's new emphasis on bringing private enterprise into the manned spaceflight program. The company is currently developing Orion under a contract with NASA that gives NASA strong oversight and limits Boeing's profits, according to Boeing. If now the rules are changing to allow private companies to develop manned spacecraft that could compete with Orion in its reduced role more on their own terms, Boeing is questioning whether it can fairly compete given the restrictions of its current contract.

It's an interesting position. Changing the way NASA approaches manned space exploration obviously involves more than the big decisions. Smaller decisions could also help determine how the new approach plays out.