Genesis Crash Report to be Issued
Lockheed rapped for skipping Genesis test, Rocky Mountain News
“Lockheed Martin failed to do a critical prelaunch test that would have uncovered the flaw that doomed NASA’s $264 million Genesis capsule, investigators have concluded. The test would have revealed that four tiny switches designed to trigger the release of the Denver-built capsule’s parachutes were installed backward. The installation error, combined with the omitted test, sealed the fate of the blunt-nosed capsule, said Michael Ryschkewitsch, chairman of the Genesis Mishap Investigation Board.”
Editor’s note: Previous LockMart crashes: MPL: tests not performed – spacecraft crashed; Mars Climate Orbiter: metric/english conversion not done – spacecraft burned up – then crashed; NOAA-N: 24 bolts missing in support stand – spacecraft dropped – crashed – on floor. The tally for taxpayers is getting close to $1 billion for all these crashes.
