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posted by martyb on Wednesday July 08 2020, @10:26AM   Printer-friendly
from the Feinman's-Fuming dept.

Independent reviewers offer 80 suggestions to make Starliner safer

Following the failed test flight of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft in December, NASA on Monday released the findings of an investigation into the root causes of the launch's failure and the culture that led to them.

Over the course of its review, an independent team identified 80 "recommendations" for NASA and Boeing to address before the Starliner spacecraft launches again. In addition to calling for better oversight and documentation, these recommendations stress the need for greater hardware and software integration testing. Notably, the review team called for an end-to-end test prior to each flight using the maximum amount of flight hardware available.

This is significant, because before the December test flight, Boeing did not run an integrated software test that encompassed the roughly 48-hour period from launch through docking to the station. Instead, Boeing broke the test into chunks. The first chunk ran from launch through the point at which Starliner separated from the second stage of the Atlas V booster.

Previously: Boeing's Failed Starliner Mission Strains 'Reliability' Pitch
Boeing Starliner Lands Safely in the Desert After Failing to Reach Correct Orbit
NASA Safety Panel Calls for Reviews after Second Starliner Software Problem
Boeing Acknowledges "Gaps" in its Starliner Software Testing
Boeing Hit With 61 Safety Fixes for Astronaut Capsule
Boeing to Launch Starliner Spacecraft for Second Go at Reaching the ISS after First Mission Failed


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  • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday July 08 2020, @03:40PM (2 children)

    by JoeMerchant (3937) on Wednesday July 08 2020, @03:40PM (#1018227)

    My suggestion for making the Boeing Starliner safer

    Unfortunately for rocket scientists, systems engineers, quality wonks, and the rest of the people that actually make things happen: when projects get Boeing scale large, they become political - and "political science" becomes a significant factor in their success or failure.

    Boeing seems to have had some failures of leadership lately, that is definitely room for improvement. Most of their crew actually know their jobs quite well - they just need better leadership, which is hard to do in a climate driven by Wall Street investors and beltway lobbyists and bureaucrats.

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  • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday July 08 2020, @04:26PM (1 child)

    by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday July 08 2020, @04:26PM (#1018244) Journal

    I didn't criticize the smart people who do their jobs well. I did criticize the the leadership, and climate driven by Wall Street.

    I did not think to include beltway lobbyists and bureaucrats as you helpfully point out.

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    • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday July 08 2020, @06:30PM

      by JoeMerchant (3937) on Wednesday July 08 2020, @06:30PM (#1018325)

      Sadly, leadership matters - I think we're getting a pretty clear demonstration of that right now.

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