A new report finds Boeing’s rockets are built with an unqualified work force, but NASA declines to penalize Boeing for the deficiencies.

[Jason]

A new report finds Boeing’s rockets are built with an unqualified work force

ARSTECHNICA.COM

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NASA declines to penalize Boeing for the deficiencies.

 

[SuperSpreader]

2 minutes ago, Jason said:

NASA declines to penalize Boeing for the deficiencies.

 

They need them to solve the problem before they penalize them.

[chakoo]

[TwinIon]

TheyCan'tKeepGettingAwayWithIt.gif

[Spawn_of_Apathy]

Does NASA decline to penalize them or are they contractually or congressionally unable to? 

[mclumber1]

44 minutes ago, Spawn_of_Apathy said:

Does NASA decline to penalize them or are they contractually or congressionally unable to? 

 

The way that I understand it is that when/if Boeing competes for another contract with NASA, past performance is taken into consideration whether they are awarded the new contract.

 

So if Boeing is having a lot of management, engineering, and quality issues with the SLS contract as well as commercial crew contract, they may very well lose any future contracts with NASA even if their proposals are affordable.

[Spawn_of_Apathy]

14 minutes ago, mclumber1 said:

 

The way that I understand it is that when/if Boeing competes for another contract with NASA, past performance is taken into consideration whether they are awarded the new contract.

 

So if Boeing is having a lot of management, engineering, and quality issues with the SLS contract as well as commercial crew contract, they may very well lose any future contracts with NASA even if their proposals are affordable.

Right. But that doesn’t mean they can financially penalize or void a contract with them now. We have to wait for new negotiations to start or see if NASA tells them to just get fucked and not even entertain them. Which I’m sure Boeing would then try to sue NASA over not being considered for a future contract. 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

1 hour ago, Spawn_of_Apathy said:

Does NASA decline to penalize them or are they contractually or congressionally unable to? 

 

From the article:

 

Quote

NASA's inspector general was concerned enough with quality control to recommend that the space agency institute financial penalties for Boeing’s noncompliance. However, in a response to the report, NASA's deputy associate administrator, Catherine Koerner, declined to do so. "NASA interprets this recommendation to be directing NASA to institute penalties outside the bounds of the contract," she replied. "There are already authorities in the contract, such as award fee provisions, which enable financial ramifications for noncompliance with quality control standards."

[Spawn_of_Apathy]

So she’s basically doing the “no, we have financial penalties at home” shtick. 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

4 minutes ago, Spawn_of_Apathy said:

So she’s basically doing the “no, we have financial penalties at home” shtick. 

 

That's more or less accurate.

[mclumber1]

The bad news is that the SLS contract is "cost-plus" which means that Boeing can continue to fuck shit up but profit from it.  The good news is that the commercial crew contract is "fixed price" which means that Boeing is losing money hand over fist because they've been forced to spend hundreds of millions of their own money (trying) to get Starliner operational.