Boeing Co‘s BA Space segment chief Ted Colbert has reportedly left the company on the heels of issues identified with its Starliner spacecraft.
What Happened: Colbert, who has run Boeing’s Defense, Space, and Security division since 2022, has left the company, Financial Times reported, citing a memo to employees sent by Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg.
The memo, sent out on Friday, reportedly said that Colbert’s departure is ‘effective immediately.’
Steve Parker, the division’s chief operating officer, will lead it until a permanent replacement is named, the report added. Parker has been at Boeing for over 36 years now, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Boeing did not immediately respond to Benzinga‘s request for comment.
Why It Matters: Colbert’s departure comes on the heels of Boeing’s troubles with the Starliner spacecraft. Starliner launched two astronauts – Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore – to the International Space Station on June 5. Though the two were supposed to return in about eight days, technical issues identified with the spacecraft while docking delayed the return until NASA decided to scrap bringing back the two astronauts on Starliner altogether.
The Starliner subsequently returned without the astronauts on Sept. 6. Williams and Wilmore, who are currently at the station, will now join two Crew-9 mission astronauts on their return journey to Earth in February 2025 aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, the agency said. The crew-9 mission is now slated to launch no earlier than Sept. 25.
Boeing’s Defense, Space, and Security division, one of its three main divisions, has also been hoarding losses. For the full-year 2023, the segment reported a loss from operations of $1.76 billion. In 2022, the loss from operations was still higher at $3.54 billion.
Price Action: Boeing shares closed down 0.8% at $153.29 on Friday. The stock is down 39% year-to-date, according to data from Benzinga Pro.
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Image via NASA
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