BOEING BLAMES INCOMPLETE TESTING FOR ASTRONAUT CAPSULE WOES
Boeing acknowledged it failed to conduct full
and adequate software tests before the botched
space debut of its astronaut capsule late last year.
A software error left the Starliner capsule in the
wrong orbit in December and precluded a docking
with the International Space Station. Another
software flaw could have ended up destroying the
capsule, if not fixed right before reentry.
A Boeing vice president, John Mulholland,
said both mistakes would have been caught
if complete, end-to-end testing had been
conducted in advance and actual flight
equipment used instead of substitutes.
“We know that we need to improve,” he said.
The company is still uncertain when its next
test flight might occur and whether astronauts
might be aboard. NASA — which will have the
final say — will announce the outcome of the
ongoing investigation review. The first flight
test had no crew.