Scathing NASA report lays bare how Boeing's disastrous Starliner left two astronauts stranded in space

A damning new report from NASA has laid bare how 'Boeing's ineffective quality management' has stranded two astronauts onboard the International Space Station.

The report, by NASA's Office of the Inspector General, has even called for 'financial penalties' for the aerospace giant's 'noncompliance with quality control standards.' 

All summer, debate has raged within the space agency over how best to rescue the first two humans to ever pilot Boeing's long-awaited Starliner spacecraft which had been scheduled to ferry the duo to and from orbit for a nine-day mission this June.

But as that expedition stretched on into August — with a high probability that both astronauts will likely now be stuck in space into well 2025 — NASA OIG partnered with Pentagon investigators to review Boeing's 'numerous administrative errors.'

'Boeing's process to address deficiencies to date,' the space agency's top watchdog stated in their report, published Wednesday, 'has been ineffective.'

Worse, NASA OIG continued: 'The company has generally been nonresponsive in taking corrective actions when the same quality control issues reoccur.'

In one instance, a liquid oxygen fuel tank dome — an integral piece of hardware needed to house Starliner's highly explosive rocket propellant — was found isolated for potential disposal due to 'Boeing's unsatisfactory welding operations.'

This poorly assembled fuel dome, intended for one of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) Core Stage 3 rockets, was witnessed by NASA OIG officials themselves.

But to investigate many of the internal issues with Boeing's construction of Starliner, the space agency watchdogs turned for assistance to staff from the Pentagon's Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA).

'DCMA issues Corrective Action Requests (CAR) to the contractor,' per the new NASA report. 'CARs are labeled Level I through IV, with Level I the least serious deficiency.'

Asked to 'conduct surveillance of Boeing's core and upper stage manufacturing efforts' at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, the DCMA team ultimately meted out a total of 71 CARs at Levels I and II between 2021 and 2023.

A draft of even more severe Level III CAR, which would have alerted Boeing's c-suite and could have led to withheld contract payments, was prepared but ultimately not sent.

'According to DCMA officials, this is a high number of CARs for a space flight system at this stage in development' NASA's OIG report explained, 'and reflects a recurring and degraded state of product quality control.'

The poorly welded fuel tank dome was a repeated and reemphasized cause for concern to NASA OIG, who attributed the issue to lax hiring and training practices. 

'According to NASA officials, the welding issues arose due to Boeing’s inexperienced technicians and inadequate work order planning and supervision,' NASA OIG said.

'The lack of a trained and qualified workforce increases the risk that Boeing will continue to manufacture parts and components that do not adhere to NASA requirements and industry standards,' the office's report continued.

Pentagon DCMA officials noted that, to Boeing's credit, a nonconformance report was generated by the aerospace firm conceding that the dome wasn't space worthy. 

But NASA OIG nevertheless emphasized the myriad and apparently systemic problems had plagued Boeing's work crafting the Starliner craft in their new report.  

'Boeing officials incorrectly approved hardware processing under unacceptable environmental conditions, accepted and presented damaged seals to NASA for inspection,' the inspector general concluded. 

The aerospace firm, NASA OIG found, also 'used outdated versions of work orders.'

Outside of the OIG, officials within NASA have bristled at the suggestion that Wilmore and Williams are stranded or stuck. 

NASA has stressed from the get-go that if there were to be an emergency at the space station, like a fire or a loss of cabin pressure, that Boeing's Starliner could still be used by the pair as a lifeboat to leave. 

One former NASA executive said Thursday the astronauts are 'kind of stuck,' although certainly not stranded.

They're safe aboard the space station with plenty of supplies and work to do, said NASA's Scott Hubbard, who served on the Columbia Accident Investigation Board in 2003.

For its part, Boeing has insisted that its capsule could still safely bring the astronauts home. 

But the company said Wednesday it would take the steps necessary to bring the capsule back empty if that's NASA's decision.

Last week, the company posted a list of all the tests that have been done on the thrusters since liftoff.

'We still believe in Starliner's capability and its flight rationale.' the company said.