Boeing Starliner in Crisis: Astronauts Reveal Docking Failure and $5-a-Day Pay Controversy
In a shocking revelation, NASA astronauts have disclosed a terrifying near-miss aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, reviving public concern over the safety and reliability of Boeing’s troubled commercial capsule. Adding fuel to the controversy, news broke this week that the astronauts were compensated just $5 per day during their harrowing 286-day mission — a revelation that has sparked outrage and made “Boeing Starliner” a trending topic across platforms.
💬 "These astronauts risked their lives for $5/day while Boeing execs got bonuses? Disgusting!" – @SpaceTruth2025
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💬 "NASA put PR before safety. Relaxing protocols for docking could've killed them. #BoeingFailedAgain" – @AerospaceWatch
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A Near Catastrophe in Space
On June 5, 2024, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program launched astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams aboard Boeing’s Starliner to the International Space Station. But the mission quickly spiraled into chaos. During final approach, four out of 28 reaction control system (RCS) thrusters failed, compromising the spacecraft’s maneuverability. Despite the danger, NASA made the decision to allow emergency docking by relaxing its usual safety protocols — a move now drawing sharp criticism.
Astronaut Butch Wilmore vividly recalled the moment:
"We lost control in six degrees of freedom... I'm fighting the stick while the computer tries to compensate. This wasn't in the training sims." – Butch Wilmore
Source: Fox News
Technical Troubles Continue
While the astronauts did eventually dock and spend nearly 10 months aboard the ISS, their journey back wasn’t smooth either. Upon return in September 2024, the uncrewed Starliner experienced navigation issues and yet another thruster failure during re-entry. Boeing’s struggle with persistent technical faults has plagued the spacecraft since its 2019 inception — from faulty software to helium leaks and propulsion glitches.
Despite spending over $4.3 billion on development, Starliner remains uncertified for regular crewed flights. In March 2025, NASA finally made the call to switch all upcoming crewed missions to SpaceX’s Dragon capsule.
"We're looking at late 2025 at earliest for next Starliner flight - if it flies crewed at all. Thermal barriers and thruster pulse changes are needed." – Steve Stich, NASA CCP Manager
Source: Spaceflight Now
A Compensation Scandal
Amid revelations of technical failures, the astronauts also shared that they earned the equivalent of just $5 per day in hazard pay during their mission — a fraction of what seems fair given the risks.
This compensation detail, uncovered in a recent interview, has triggered public outrage and is sparking new debates about how corporate contractors and the government value the lives and sacrifices of space explorers.
Official Responses and Future Outlook
NASA and Boeing have since announced ongoing propulsion testing and updates to fault-prone systems:
- NASA/Boeing Starliner Propulsion Testing Update – NASA.gov
- Commercial Crew Program Changes – Spaceflight Now
Yet with credibility at an all-time low and public pressure mounting, it remains unclear if Starliner will ever carry humans again.
Watch the Full Story Unfold
Conclusion
✔️ Starliner came dangerously close to disaster — and astronauts were paid pennies for the risk.
✔️ As Boeing scrambles to correct course, public trust and NASA's priorities are under fierce scrutiny.
