Around and around Starliner goes, and when it comes down, nobody knows. What we do know is that thanks to poor development and engineering, Boeing&rsq

Boeing and the perils of outsourcing mission-critical work

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2024-07-06 19:30:02

Around and around Starliner goes, and when it comes down, nobody knows. What we do know is that thanks to poor development and engineering, Boeing’s stock will come down soon.

I remember a time when Boeing was one of the top American companies. Indeed, it was the very model of a modern technology enterprise. Then things changed. In 1997, after its merger with McDonnell Douglas, the company prioritized financial engineering over actual engineering and MBAs over aeronautic engineers.

Thereafter, one questionable decision after another was made, and corners were cut. The result? A once-proud American manufacturer is now better known for fatal crashes of its 737 Max 8 planes in 2017 and 2018 and this year’s explosive midflight loss of a 737 Max 9 door plug. These are the results of bad engineering and lousy quality assurance.

Now, as I write this, I see that Boeing’s Starliner spaceship remains parked at the International Space Station. When will it come down bearing its astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams? I don’t know. They certainly don’t know. None of us know.