00:00To understand Starliner you have to compare it with Dragon, not emotionally but structurally.
00:06Both programs are part of NASA's commercial crew program. Both were supposed to achieve
00:12the same goal. Transport American astronauts, aboard American spacecraft to the International
00:18Space Station. The mission was clearly defined. A pet abort test, a launch abort test, an uncrewed
00:26orbital mission, a crewed demonstration mission. After that, the transition to operational service
00:33with six regular crew flights each to the ISS. Both companies received billions for this and yet
00:39their starting circumstances could hardly have been more different. The US Congress originally didn't
00:47want to approve this program because SpaceX was the only bidder. Not a single one of the established
00:53aerospace companies was willing to agree to a milestone-based fixed-price contract. It was
01:00only when Boeing joined in that the budget was approved. The expectation was clear. Boeing would
01:06deliver SpaceX would overextend itself.
