Boeing officials will have to reverify all the software on its Starliner commercial crew spaceship. This decision resurfaced after an examination that discovered many issues in the initial development process. Two significant problems, however, escape detection.
NASA and Boeing stated that they didn’t take any decision yet about a second uncrewed test flight development, or even if an OFT (Orbital Flight Test) of Starliner will be required.
One problem discovered right away after dividing from its top stage was a timer offset that didn’t allow Starliner to start its thrusters as planned. While it reached orbit, it used a lot of fuel than ever thought, arriving at the ISS, but leaving it only after two days after liftoff.
John Mulholland, project manager for Starliner and Boeing vice president, explained the Starliner software is planned to begin its mission passed timer from the Atlas 5 liftoff device, but only in something dubbed as “the terminal count” stage. As for Starliner’s software, Mulholland stated that it missed that necessary terminal countdown.
Boeing Starliner Test Unveiled Many Fatal Issues In Software
The second issue, on the other hand, involved a “valve mapping error” for the thrusters in the device’s service module. Those thrusters realize a “disposal burn” of the service module after splitting from the crew module a few moments after reentry.
As for the software issues, NASA explained: “The real problem is that we had numerous process escapes in the design, development, and test cycle for software.”
However, Mulholland said that the software should pass through a standard development procedure first. Such a process means that the code is written and also arrives through many reviews and a lot of tests reaching the final formal qualification tests.
Boeing will have to plan other reviews all of the software initially produced for Starliner, a total of one million lines of code. Luckily, the company could pass this challenging period quicker than ever thought.
