THAT’S THE TOTAL AMOUNT BOEING HAS LOST OVER THE LIFETIME OF THE STARLINER PROGRAM RIGHT NOW. THE TWO AMERICAN ASTRONAUTS STILL DON’T KNOW WHEN THEY MIGHT COME HOME FROM THE ES. ONE EXPERT TELLS US THE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES WITH BOEING. THEY ARE LIVE WITH THEM, NOT THE TAXPAYER. AND LIFTOFF OF STARLINER AND ATLAS FIVE CARRYING TWO AMERICAN HEROES. BOEING ANNOUNCING THE STARLINER PROGRAM HAS RUN OVER BUDGET BY A BILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS SINCE IT STARTED IN 2016. BOEING’S PRESIDENT SAYING IN A STATEMENT, QUOTE, DESPITE A CHALLENGING QUARTER, WE’RE MAKING SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS STRENGTHENING OUR QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND POSITIONING OUR COMPANY FOR THE FUTURE. WE ARE EXECUTING ON OUR COMPREHENSIVE SAFETY AND QUALITY PLAN. THE NEWS COMES AS THE THRUSTER TESTING CONTINUES FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. THE RESULTS WILL DETERMINE IF STARLINER IS SAFE TO RETURN TO EARTH. STARLINER HAS BEEN PLAGUED BY HELIUM LEAKS AND THRUSTER ISSUES. THE LOSSES MOUNTED BECAUSE OF FIXED PRICE CONTRACTS. THE WHOLE IDEA OF THE COMMERCIAL CREW PROJECT WAS SORT OF NASA WAS BUYING A SERVICE RATHER THAN LEADING AN EFFORT. YOU KNOW, IF WE GO BACK TO THE THE SPACE SHUTTLE DAYS AND NASA WAS DEFINITELY LEADING THE EFFORT AND CONTRACTORS WERE PROVIDING, UM, THE CAPABILITY TO TO DO THE OPERATIONS. BUT, UH, IN THIS CASE HERE, NASA IS TRULY, REALLY BUYING A SERVICE AND IT’S UP TO THE COMPANY DOCTOR, DON PLATT, A PROFESSOR AT FLORIDA TECH, SAYS THE COST OVERRUNS AND THE TECHNICAL CHALLENGES BELONG TO BOEING AND NOT THE TAXPAYER. HOWEVER, THERE IS NO ONE SAYING BOEING WILL END THE STARLINER PROGRAM. NASA SAYS THEY NEED STARLINER TO SUCCEED. WE DO NOT WANT TO RELY ON EVEN JUST WITH ALL THE SUCCESS THAT SPACEX HAS HAD RECENTLY, WE CAN’T RELY ON SIMPLY SPACEX TO PROVIDE ALL SERVICES TO THE AMERICAN SPACE PROGRAM. STAGGERING LOSSES. BUT COMMITTED TO THE MISSION OF HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT. NASA AND BOEING ARE EXPECTED TO MAKE THEIR DECISION ON STARLINER IN THE COMING DAYS. STARLINER, IF CLEAR TO CO