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Boeing didn't make the space shuttle.

big-green-man 2y ago
Boeing did largely design build the orbiter, which is the reusable spacecraft that's commonly referred to as the space shuttle, although it was only a part of the entire space shuttle program. Both disasters though were not the fault of the orbiter but caused by failures of the boosters and tank, neither of which were built by Boeing, but these projects are supposed to be designed holistically and so I'd say all the companies involved in that project share responsibility for the shortcomings of the design.
- HPsquared 2y ago
  Rockwell International made the orbiter. Unless they were later merged into Boeing and now perhaps involved in Starliner?
  - big-green-man 2y ago
    Yeah, Rockwell was broken up and that part of the company is now Boeing Defense, although i do think Boeing was directly involved in designing of the shuttle back then. Now you've got me wondering if I'm mistaken about that.
  - skissane 2y ago
    In the early 1970s, NASA had three contractors helping it to design the Space Shuttle: Rockwell, Lockheed, and a Boeing-Grumman joint venture. So Boeing definitely played a role in designing it, although exactly how big its role was in the design, as opposed to the other contractors, I don’t know. https://www.spaceline.org/united-states-manned-space-flight/space-shuttle-program-history/ https://www.spaceline.org/united-states-manned-space-flight/... However, Boeing was not originally one of the main contractors for the actual construction/operation/maintenance of the Space Shuttle. It later became one by buying Rockwell’s space division
philipwhiuk 2y ago
They love to claim they did as part of their legacy.
nobleach 2y ago
In the case of the Challenger accident, the actual orbiter wasn't the problem. The seals on the solid rocket boosters were. That said, I don't know who was responsible for their design/manufacture.
- vlachen 2y ago
  The teams responsible for their design and manufacture were sounding the alarm about the o-rings being out of their operational envelope. It was management at the manufacturer and NASA that decided to proceed.
- AlgorithmicTime 2y ago
  [dead]
- Dalewyn 2y ago
  Thiokol[1], who were later bought out by ATK who in turn were bought out by Northrop Grumman. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiokol https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiokol
  - relbeek2 2y ago
    Thiokol + Hercules = ATK ATK + OribtalSciences = Orbital ATK then NG bought out Orbital ATK

Boeing did largely design build the orbiter, which is the reusable spacecraft that's commonly referred to as the space shuttle, although it was only a part of the entire space shuttle program. Both disasters though were not the fault of the orbiter but caused by failures of the boosters and tank, neither of which were built by Boeing, but these projects are supposed to be designed holistically and so I'd say all the companies involved in that project share responsibility for the shortcomings of the design.

HPsquared 2y ago
Rockwell International made the orbiter. Unless they were later merged into Boeing and now perhaps involved in Starliner?
- big-green-man 2y ago
  Yeah, Rockwell was broken up and that part of the company is now Boeing Defense, although i do think Boeing was directly involved in designing of the shuttle back then. Now you've got me wondering if I'm mistaken about that.
- skissane 2y ago
  In the early 1970s, NASA had three contractors helping it to design the Space Shuttle: Rockwell, Lockheed, and a Boeing-Grumman joint venture. So Boeing definitely played a role in designing it, although exactly how big its role was in the design, as opposed to the other contractors, I don’t know. https://www.spaceline.org/united-states-manned-space-flight/space-shuttle-program-history/ https://www.spaceline.org/united-states-manned-space-flight/... However, Boeing was not originally one of the main contractors for the actual construction/operation/maintenance of the Space Shuttle. It later became one by buying Rockwell’s space division

philipwhiuk 2y ago

They love to claim they did as part of their legacy.

nobleach 2y ago

In the case of the Challenger accident, the actual orbiter wasn't the problem. The seals on the solid rocket boosters were. That said, I don't know who was responsible for their design/manufacture.

vlachen 2y ago
The teams responsible for their design and manufacture were sounding the alarm about the o-rings being out of their operational envelope. It was management at the manufacturer and NASA that decided to proceed.
AlgorithmicTime 2y ago
[dead]
Dalewyn 2y ago
Thiokol[1], who were later bought out by ATK who in turn were bought out by Northrop Grumman. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiokol https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiokol
- relbeek2 2y ago
  Thiokol + Hercules = ATK ATK + OribtalSciences = Orbital ATK then NG bought out Orbital ATK