Posted on 10/21/2025 2:32:26 PM PDT by SmokingJoe
Boeing Starliner: Never forget: Incompetence + arrogance => astronauts refused to fly Starliner, and when they were made to, it was a disaster.
From Eric Berger's book:
“BOEING HAS AN ASTRONAUT PROBLEM” (p.291)
“When the SpaceX engineers could be corralled, they were eager to hear feedback from the NASA astronauts , excited to work with them, and attentive to their suggestions. By contrast, Boeing engineers seemed indifferent to hearing from the four commercial crew astronauts.” (p.293)
“There was an arrogance with them that you certainly didn’t see at SpaceX.” (astronaut Hurley, p.294)
“Boeing also underperformed. Not only were its engineers overconfident, but the company’s management also was not putting skin in the game. Hurley did not see any urgency from Boeing’s teams. Rather, they appeared to be working part-time on Starliner. ‘It was all about managing dollars and cents from Boeing’s perspective,’ Hurley said.” (295)
(Excerpt) Read more at x.com ...
McDonnell Douglass effect. They bought Boeing with Boeing’s money.
Other way round.
It was Boeing that bought McDonnell Douglass August 1, 1997.
You don’t get it. Boeing is being run by MD people now. That’s the problem.
Grok:
No, McDonnell Douglas (MD) alumni are not predominantly running Boeing as of October 2025, though they hold some influential roles in major divisions. The company’s top leadership has seen significant turnover in recent years, bringing in outsiders to address ongoing challenges like safety issues and production delays.
You still don’t get it. They took over the company and brought it down. Current line up doesn’t matter now.
Pathetic.
True. After Boeing bought MD the culture shifted, the MD culture took over. Boeing went from being an engineer led company to beancounter led and started it’s downfall.
BINGO
Boeing bought MD management...
“Boeing bought MD management...”
This quote might be relevant to MD management:
“you’ll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy”
Is it time already for the daily bash Boeing thread?
I remember the Boeing / McDonnell merger
Then they moved corporate to Chicago. I remember thinking to myself “WTF they do that for??”
The MBAs have taken over. Just a matter of time now.
The Malignant Legacy of Harry Stonecipher continues to metastasize
MD bought Boeing with Boeing's money as well
ChatGPT
Yes — Boeing’s Starliner does cost more than SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, both in terms of NASA’s contract value and per-seat pricing.
No one gets it. Boeing runs as a multi-layered company, with management levels out the wazoo. To get something done, it has to go through several levels of management and departments before it can be approved. This can as small as building a new server room, to building a starliner 787. No one should take a fixed price contract with Boeing.
“you’ll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy”
Sounds like Honeywell.
“you’ll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy”
Sounds like Honeywell.
Sounds like Congress.
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