According to billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, aircraft companies will not dominate the space industry, similar to how car makers cannot dominate the aircraft business. Musk was referring to aircraft manufacturer Boeing BA, which also makes space systems.
What Happened: “Just as the car companies did not dominate the medium of air (they tried), the aircraft companies will not dominate the medium of space,” Musk wrote in response to an X user, referring to Boeing’s hardships with their space segment.
Car Companies That Tried To Enter Air Transport: Several automakers have entered the air transport segment with not much success including Mighigan-based automaker Ford. The automaker made 199 Trimotor aircraft before it closed its airplane division in 1933 because of poor sales.
Other automakers to have forayed into aircraft manufacturing include Honda, Fiat, and Mitsubishi.
Boeing Starliner Troubles: NASA announced on Saturday that it would return the two astronauts who went to space via Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft – Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore – via a SpaceX vehicle in February. The Starliner spacecraft would return to Earth autonomously in early September, the agency said, citing its commitment to safety.
Williams and Wilmore launched into space on June 5 aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. Though the two were supposed to return in about eight days, technical issues identified with the spacecraft while docking delayed the return journey, and now the agency has decided to scrap bringing the astronauts back on the Boeing spacecraft altogether.
Musk Expresses Optimism For Boeing’s Future: Musk on Saturday expressed optimism for the future of Boeing despite the setback.
"The new Boeing CEO is spending time in the factories. That is the right thing to do," Musk said. The new Boeing CEO, Kelly Ortberg, took the reins of the company from Dave Calhoun earlier this month.
Boeing’s hardship is not limited to the space segment. The company has been under intense regulatory scrutiny after a door plug panel flew off an Alaska Airlines plane manufactured by Boeing soon after take off in January.
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