[blisterpeanuts]

I’ll say it, since no one else is: Congratulations to Boeing! This is a much needed victory at a time when their reputation has taken a beating (most of it deserved).

Over on Slashdot, it was reported that the likely cause was: a “Teflon seal in a valve known as a ‘poppet’ expanded as it was being heated by the nearby thrusters, significantly constraining the flow of the oxidizer”.

As Musk’s SpaceX team has stated repeatedly, every failure provides data for future success. At least they have a good idea as to why the thrusters failed, and the design can probably be modified and retested in a couple of uncrewed launches in 2025 or 2026.

The thrusters can be fixed. The question is whether Boeing can fix its culture.

[timbit42]

I'll hold my congratulations to Boeing for when they fix their culture.