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Boeing blames incomplete testing for astronaut capsule woes

4 years 1 month 3 weeks ago Friday, February 28 2020 Feb 28, 2020 February 28, 2020 4:05 PM February 28, 2020 in News - AP Texas Headlines

By MARCIA DUNN
AP Aerospace Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - Boeing acknowledges it failed to conduct full and adequate software tests before the botched space debut of its astronaut capsule late last year.  A software error left the Starliner capsule in the wrong orbit in December and precluded a docking with the International Space Station. Another software flaw could have ended up destroying the capsule, if not fixed right before re-entry. A Boeing executive said Friday that both mistakes would have been caught if complete, end-to-end testing had been conducted in advance and actual flight equipment used instead of substitutes. The company is still uncertain when its next test flight might occur and whether astronauts might be aboard. The first flight test had no crew.

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