NASA Internal Supervisor Criticizes Boeing Over SLS Rocket Development Issues

Illustration of the stage of SLS rocket exploration (photo: dock. Boeing)

JAKARTA The Office of the Inspector General (OIG), internal surveillance, NASA criticized Boeing for their actions while working on the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The reason is, OIG discovered serious negligence. Through a report released on August 8, OIG said that they found problems in the construction of the Block 1B version of the SLS. These rockets do not have a good quality management system and are worked on by under-trained workforce. This problem was discovered after OIG collaborated with the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) to monitor the core stage and the upper stage of the SLS. Based on the findings of DCMA, SLS has repeatedly encountered problems on quality control. "Boeing's actions in dealing with contract inaction are not effective and the company is in general non-responsive in taking corrective action when the same quality control problem recurres," OIG said in its report. OIG explained that DCMA has issued 71 requests for improved action (CAR) over two years of SLS development, from September 2021 to September 2023. Of the 71 requests, 24 of them are CAR level 2. This higher level indicates that SLS had experienced a very serious problem that it could not be fixed. Level 2 also refers to the use of important safety hardware. This is a very high number of CARs for spaceflight programs, in particular at the development stage. The work of the SLS hampie obtained CAR level 3, but NASA decided to use alternative corrective action methods.

The OIG report also explains evidence of negligence in the development of the SLS that they had seen firsthand. In April last year, when the OIG made a site visit, the liquid oxygen tank that was supposed to be used at the core stage of the SLS was still separated. This tank needs to be resolved first because of the infiltration that did not meet specifications. NASA officials told OIG that, "the problem of welding arose because Boeing technicians were not experienced and supervised inadequate work orders." Over the various problems found, OIG criticized Boeing's management of the main part of the 1B Block SLS, namely the Upper Stage of Exploration (EUS). In fact, the management of EUS spent more than half the development costs for Block 1B. "Given Boeing's quality management and related labor challenges, we are concerned these factors have the potential to affect the safety of SLS and Orion spacecraft, including its crew and cargo," OIG said in its report.