• voluble@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    The helium leaks on the RCS thrusters were a known problem before the Crew Flight Test, and Boeing gave assurances to NASA that the leaks wouldn’t be problematic. What were those assurances based on? I don’t know much about spaceflight, but it seems crazy to me that CFT was allowed to launch when there was a known issue that could impact docking and undocking with the ISS, and possibly deprive the capsule of a backup means of orienting for deorbit.

    A person has to wonder - did Boeing’s desire for a commercial success, at any point, impact their assessments of Starliner’s safety? Is it possible that running this project at a set price was an impediment to proper, timely, and safe development?

    • Jumuta
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      2 months ago

      nah the problem wasn’t the helium leaks, it’s overheating of the thrusters