NASA paid $4.2B for Boeing Starliner and didn't even get simulator access
Turns out relying on legacy giant Boeing to build a spaceship because they've been around forever went exactly as well as their commercial airplane division.
The NASA Inspector General just released a report on the Starliner program, and it's a masterclass in bureaucratic buyer's remorse. Apparently, everyone was so blinded by Boeing's legacy experience that they signed off on contracts practically on vibes alone.
The most ridiculous part? NASA didn't even have access to the Starliner flight simulator data while trying to figure out if the thing was safe. They were just nodding along to unrealistic launch schedules while flying totally blind.
We all saw the result last year: helium leaks, thruster failures, and two astronauts stranded on the ISS for nine months before SpaceX had to swoop in and rescue them. Now, there are zero future flights scheduled, and the ISS is set to retire in 2030 anyway.
Paying almost double what SpaceX got just to have them bail you out is peak corporate welfare.
Source: NASA OIG
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