Boeing's Starliner Capsule Misses Trajectory Due to "Clock Error"

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s investigation into Boeing’s failed December spaceflight came up with a long list of corrections needed before the company flies again. Boeing said Friday that the investigation found about 61 “corrective actions” for the company’s Starliner spacecraft, which it has been developing to fly NASA astronauts. NASA associate administrator Doug Loverro told reporters on a conference call that he expects it “will take several months” for Boeing to work through the list. The 61 recommendations are not each individual problems with the spacecraft, Boeing said, as there are three primary technical and design issues that the company is addressing. However, Loverro noted that does not mean there are only three problems with Starliner. He said there are more issues, although he wasn’t sure of a specific number identified by investigators.

The aerospace giant planned to fly NASA astronauts on Starliner this year. In December, Boeing conducted what was supposed to be one of the spacecraft’s last tests. But the craft did not dock with the space station after a software issue during the launch caused Starliner’s autonomous flight-control system to misfire, putting Starliner in the wrong orbit. The key unknown remains whether NASA will require Boeing redo the orbital test flight, as the company previously expected its next flight would have astronauts on board. But, although the investigation is complete, neither the agency or Boeing were confident about when the next test flight will happen.



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https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/06/nasa-finds-61-corrective-actions-for-boeings-starliner-spacecraft.html