Watchdog panel’s annual NASA safety report reveals new Boeing Starliner issue, questions viable future.

News of ***another*** failure.

>an additional mono propellant thruster failure was discovered in the crew module — distinct from the failures in the service module experienced during orbit,” the report stated. “Had the crew been aboard, this would have significantly increased the risk during reentry, confirming the wisdom of the decision.”

IMO this is an important clue as to why Boeing and NASA are quiet about the future of Starliner – it’s harder and harder to justify its safety even if Boeing spends another billion on it because it’s not just about each individual problem. The nature and quantity of them points to a flawed design process and a design team that overall hasn’t been good enough to produce a crew-rated vehicle. I want to respect the work of all of the competent engineers there but it’s apparent there weren’t enough of them.