NASA designates "Interstellar Passenger Aircraft" manned test flight as the highest-level accident

NASA released an investigation report on the Boeing “Starliner” crewed test flight on the 19th, determining that the flight caused by spacecraft failure which stranded astronauts at the International Space Station is classified as a “Category A” incident, the highest severity level. NASA stated that because the Starliner spacecraft lost maneuverability when approaching the ISS with astronauts onboard and caused related economic losses, the test flight is classified as a Category A incident. According to NASA’s incident classification, Category A incidents include cases resulting in death or permanent disability, mission failure causing direct property damage of $2 million or more, destruction of the crewed spacecraft, or loss of control under unexpected circumstances. The report points out that factors such as hardware failure, certification issues, and leadership mistakes interacted, leading to risks during this test flight that did not meet NASA’s human spaceflight safety standards. (Xinhua)