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> Boeing has a decision to make: keep investing in Starliner, or cut the program now They can't cut the program. They are contracted to NASA. If they try to ba
by skissane 2y ago
> Boeing has a decision to make: keep investing in Starliner, or cut the program now
They can't cut the program. They are contracted to NASA. If they try to bail out, they'll be breaching a major federal government contract, which could have serious negative consequences for their ability to win future federal contracts – not just NASA, but more importantly the Pentagon too.
If Boeing really wants out, the only plausible way is they convince NASA management to cancel the contract. That way Boeing can officially claim that they performed adequately, and the cancellation was due to NASA's own decision, not their own failures.
- bpodgursky 2y ago> If Boeing really wants out, the only plausible way is they convince NASA management to cancel the contract. That way Boeing can officially claim that they performed adequately, and the cancellation was due to NASA's own decision, not their own failures. Alternatively they could convince a judge that NASA was being unreasonable by not certifying and completing this flight, if this goes to court, which many federal contracting squabbles do.
- skissane 2y agoThat would be a very high risk move - significant chance a federal judge says “I refuse to second guess NASA’s own engineers on astronaut safety”. In the unlikely event they prevail at the District Court level, I doubt it would be held up on appeal. And if they lose, their reputation will be even more in tatters than it already is.