spacetoday.net: Boeing says Starliner pad abort test a success despite parachute anomaly

Posted: Sun, Nov 10, 2019, 8:01 AM ET (1301 GMT)
CST-100 Starliner descending under two parachutes in pad abort test (Boeing)

Boeing says a misplaced pin prevented one of three parachutes from deploying during a pad abort test of its CST-100 Starliner commercial crew vehicle Monday. In a call with reporters Thursday, Boeing said a pin connecting a pilot parachute with a main parachute was not properly installed, preventing the pilot chute from deploying the main one. Technicians have already worked to confirm that similar pins are properly installed on the parachutes in the Starliner scheduled to launch an uncrewed test flight next month. Boeing said an initial review of the data from that test confirmed that all other aspects of the flight went as planned.