Boeing eyes exiting space race by selling off business with NASA: report

Boeing's Space Business Challenges - Boeing is exploring the sale of parts of its NASA business, including the Starliner rocket and operations supporting the International Space Station, as part of efforts to turn around the company [1][2] - The Starliner spacecraft has faced years of development delays and technical problems, resulting in over $1.8 billion in private cost overruns [2] - Boeing's space business suffered a $3.1 billion loss on $18.5 billion in revenue in the first nine months of this year [3] Labor and Production Issues - Boeing's largest labor union has rejected two contract proposals and extended its six-week strike, halting production [3] - The company faces financial crisis due to the strike, which has ground production to a halt [1] Leadership and Strategic Shifts - New CEO Kelly Ortberg has indicated that everything except the core commercial and defense businesses is under consideration for sale [3] - Ortberg fired the head of Boeing's defense and space business in September [3] - Prior to Ortberg's tenure, Boeing had been in talks with Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin to take over some of its NASA programs [4] NASA and Space Station Operations - Boeing remains the primary contractor for the International Space Station, but NASA plans to de-orbit the station by around 2030 [4] - The Starliner was intended to transport astronauts to and from the space station, but safety concerns have cast doubt on its future [4] - Boeing is likely to maintain its role in overseeing the Space Launch System, a large rocket for future lunar missions, despite quality-control issues [2]