Boeing’s Woes Deepen As Report Identifies Problems With NASA’s Moon Rocket Contract

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As NASA and Boeing continue to work on analyzing the data from the latter's Starliner spacecraft in hopes of a safe crew return to Earth, a report from NASA's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has provided color into the pair's work on the Space Launch System (SLS). The first generation SLS launched in November 2022 with the Orion ship to the Moon, and NASA plans to launch a more powerful rocket in 2028 as part of the Artemis IV mission.

However, the OIG warns that the mission might be delayed due to significant manufacturing and project management issues with Boeing as part of its four recommendations - three of which NASA has accepted with the promise of implementing them as soon as this year. The OIG's report follows Boeing's new CEO taking over the role and shifting his office to Seattle to better understand the aerospace giant's manufacturing and production processes.

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The OIG's report covers the SLS Block 1B rocket, which will increase the SLS system's payload capacity from a current 27 tons to 38 tons. A key part of this upgrade is a new Exploration Upper Stage (EUS), which is the second stage responsible for sending Orion and other payloads to the Moon.

In its assessment, the OIG reveals that lackluster quality management at Boeing's Michoud facilities has led to considerable delays to the EUS' completion. These include "foreign object debris was identified inside the SLS Core Stage 2 liquid hydrogen fuel tank," including metal shavings and Teflon. These issues, along with others, have led the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA), which