August 19, 2021
https://spaceflightnow.com/2021/08/19/boeings-starliner-spacecraft-returns-to-processing-facility-for-valve-work/
After valve problems caused a failure to launch earlier this month on a flight to
the International Space Station, Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule returned to a
processing facility at the Kennedy Space Center Thursday after being removed
from its Atlas 5 launcher at nearby Cape Canaveral.
With twice the money and time invested in United Launch Alliance
as in SpaceX, NASA and the U.S. Government still have nothing to show for it.
Adding to that
NASA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG), the agency’s auditor, said in a report
last Thursday that NASA will pay $90 million to fly with Boeing –
and just $55 million to fly with SpaceX.
Both NASA and Boeing pushed back on OIG’s report, with the company saying in
a press release that it “rejects the average seat price assessment.”
As we all know Boeing uses alternative facts for its Kool-Aid induced reality.
But the official who spoke to CNBC said that OIG’s estimate is in line with
NASA’s Own Expectation, despite the agency and Boeing issuing
public statements Disputing the numbers, AKA facts.
NASA previously estimated it would pay $58 million to fly its astronauts
with either company. But the latest numbers essentially mean it is about
60% more expensive for NASA astronauts to fly with Boeing under the
current contracts than with SpaceX.
All This After NASA was caught providing Boeing documentation on
Closed Bidding to help guide the aerospace giant in a lunar-landing completion.
This according to the inspector general at NASA
https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/06/08/nasa-probing-possible-improper-contacts-between-bo.aspx