by Matt Lawson, Maly and downstream innovation.
The failure of the Boeing Starliner mission, launched 05 June 2024, which left two NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams “stranded” on the International Space Station (ISS) until their return to Earth on 19 March 2025, highlighted the critical importance of communication and clear interactions between teams in different organisations within the space sector.
The incident attracted worldwide public attention, as did the significant gaps in coordination, revealing how a lack of effective communication can have dire and potentially life-threatening consequences.
The Boeing Starliner, intended to be a reliable means of transporting astronauts to the ISS, faced a series of technical challenges (persistent helium leaks and degraded thrusters) that culminated in the mission’s failure to bring the astronauts safely home. Then came the acute embarrassment of a competitor needing to rescue them!
One of the primary issues identified in a review by The Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) was the ambiguity in the interrelationship and communication between Boeing’s engineering teams and NASA’s oversight personnel. This lack of synchronisation led to misinterpreted data, overlooked safety protocols and, ultimately, the stranding of the astronauts for over nine months, way beyond the eight days the mission was intended to last for.
For innovation in the space sector, following rigorous processes and compliance is not just a matter of protocol but a matter of safety and success. The space environment is unforgiving, and even the smallest oversight can lead to catastrophic results. Even when astronauts are not involved, the loss of satellites and technological capabilities can be commercially devastating. It is vital then that all teams involved adhere to established procedures and co-ordinate processes effectively between departments and organisations.
To ensure that standard procedures and safety checks are conducted properly, especially during handovers between organisations, the use of process monitoring and control software becomes indispensable.
Software tool Okuda, developed by Space East member Maly, enables real-time tracking of compliance with safety protocols, auditing of tests, and ensures that all actions are completed, documented and reviewed. This level of oversight is vital in identifying potential issues before they escalate into full-blown crises during a mission.
Process monitoring and control software, such as Okuda, also facilitates better communication between teams by providing a centralised platform where data, test results, and procedural checklists can be captured, shared and reviewed collaboratively. This transparency helps in bridging gaps that might exist due to organisational silos and ensures that all stakeholders are on the same page.
Maly is a company which specialises in helping innovators simplify, digitise, automate and control complex industrial and compliance processes. The Okuda no-code tool allows users to model and capture any process as a series of simple digital steps, ensuring each individual and team plays their part at the right time and in the right order, integrating easily across existing applications and systems where needed.
The Boeing Starliner incident acts as a helpful reminder of the importance of communication and adherence to established processes in the space sector. Just imagine how by leveraging advanced software tools like Okuda for process monitoring and control, space innovators can enhance safety measures, improve compliance, and foster innovation that is both safe and commercially successful.
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