'SpaceX finished 4 years sooner': Elon Musk takes a dig at Boeing as Starliner space mission launch gets delayed

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk took to X (formerly Twitter) to comment on the differences between SpaceX and Boeing in developing space capsules for astronauts. He noted that Boeing received more money from NASA but still lagged behind SpaceX in finishing their project. Musk’s tweet came right as Boeing faced another delay with its Starliner spacecraft, which was supposed to carry astronauts to the International Space Station but got postponed due to a technical issue.

"Although Boeing got $4.2 billion to develop an astronaut capsule and SpaceX only got $2.6 billion, SpaceX finished 4 years sooner," Musk tweeted. He also said that Boeing has “Too many non-technical managers," suggesting that this is a problem in how the company is run.

Continuous setbacks for Boeing

Boeing's Starliner was supposed to launch from Florida on a rocket called Atlas V. However, a problem with a valve stopped the countdown and the launch was delayed. The Starliner has faced many delays before, and this was just the latest issue.

NASA astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams were ready inside the Starliner for the launch. They had to leave the spacecraft when the launch was called off. They were supposed to test the spacecraft by flying it manually to the space station.

While Boeing is dealing with these delays, SpaceX has been successfully sending astronauts to the space station since 2020 with its Crew Dragon capsule.

What’s next for Boeing?

This delay is a setback for Boeing, which is trying to improve its reputation after some serious problems with its airplanes. The company has already spent over $1.5 billion more than planned on the Starliner.