[worik]

Given commercial pressures would a Boeing reentry vehicle be over designed to such a extent that on such a failure (failure to separate, entering with the wrong attitude ?correct term?) result in "...the craft righted itself before the escape hatch was burned through"?

[m4rtink]

I would assume it would work the same as with the soyuz, provided that the service module separates/explodes before the capsule reentering the wrong way is irrecoverably damaged.

Basically, all space capsules have their of gravity placed in such a way that they will automatically orient themselves heat shield forward once they encounter the atmosphere. So once the service module is gone, it should flip into the correct orientation just by physics alone.

(BTW, this is the same reason why the Crew Dragon spacecraft keeps it's aft section "ring" attached during a launch escape, where it's super draco thrusters drag it to a safe distance from a failing launcher.

The aft ring prevents the capsule from trying to flip over during the abort. Then once in safe distance from the vapor & debris cloud that used to be the launcher, the aft section is jettisoned and the capsule again automatically re-orients itself heat shield forward.)

[Already__Taken]

I think who you're replying to is implying the escape hatch would have been cheaper if it wouldn't last long enough before burn through during improper re-entry