First, in the summer of 2018, the CST-100 Starliner (Boeing's human-rated space capsule for NASA's CCP) had a big leak during vacuum testing. Then the 737 Max problems. Today Boeing has cleared those bad past feelings away, and with a reinvigorated, joyous look to the future they did a CST-100 pad-abort test, throwing the Starliner capsule into the air using its abort thrusters and recovering the capsule with the system's parachutes and airbags.
Except only two of the three parachutes deployed. Boeing employees were keen to point out that it was not a 'failure', since the system is designed to land safely with only two parachutes. Instead, it was called a 'deployment anomaly', and Boeing spokespeople said they were certain that the anomaly would not hold up the program.
NASA has been ferociously saying absolutely nothing about the qualifications of a 'deployment anomaly'.
P.S. Of course, SpaceX, the other contractor in the CCP program, has refused to be outdone. Several months back they one-upped Boeing by placing their Crew Dragon space capsule on the test stand and then blew it into tiny pieces.
Except only two of the three parachutes deployed. Boeing employees were keen to point out that it was not a 'failure', since the system is designed to land safely with only two parachutes. Instead, it was called a 'deployment anomaly', and Boeing spokespeople said they were certain that the anomaly would not hold up the program.
NASA has been ferociously saying absolutely nothing about the qualifications of a 'deployment anomaly'.
P.S. Of course, SpaceX, the other contractor in the CCP program, has refused to be outdone. Several months back they one-upped Boeing by placing their Crew Dragon space capsule on the test stand and then blew it into tiny pieces.