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OnlinePoker

(5,702 posts)
Wed May 1, 2019, 06:26 PM May 2019

NASA Says Metals Fraud Caused $700 Million Satellite Failure

Source: Bloomberg

A metals manufacturer faked test results and provided faulty materials to NASA, causing more than $700 million in losses and two failed satellite launch missions, according to an investigation by the U.S. space agency.

The fraud involved an Oregon company called Sapa Profiles Inc., which falsified thousands of certifications for aluminum parts over 19 years for hundreds of customers, including NASA.
relates to NASA Says Metals Fraud Caused $700 Million Satellite Failure

The bad parts were used in the making of Taurus XL, a rocket that was supposed to deliver satellites studying the Earth’s climate during missions carried out in 2009 and 2011. The launch vehicle’s fairing, a clamshell structure that carries the satellite as it travels through the atmosphere, didn’t fully open, causing the unsuccessful launch, according to a statement from NASA.

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-01/nasa-says-aluminum-fraud-caused-700-million-satellite-failures

21 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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NASA Says Metals Fraud Caused $700 Million Satellite Failure (Original Post) OnlinePoker May 2019 OP
Capitalists have no commitment to Truth. One remedy: corporate charter death by dissolution. ancianita May 2019 #1
That and holding the owners criminally liable and by that I mean with decades of jail time rather cstanleytech May 2019 #4
Absolutely. But first things first -- go for "harm" argument against the charter that ancianita May 2019 #6
Jail them and let them out when complete restitution is made The Mouth May 2019 #18
What's scary - if they supplied NASA they probably also supplied aircraft manufacturers groundloop May 2019 #2
So their criminal acts costed NASA about $700 million but only had to repay $46 million? That's BS. cstanleytech May 2019 #3
+1 Glad to see I'm not the only one who noticed that... friendly_iconoclast May 2019 #9
Reminds me of payments Boeing has made to the Feds.......... Bengus81 May 2019 #16
Lock them up. Theft by fraud is still theft. n/t Julian Englis May 2019 #5
NASA has in-house ways of testing these metals. Duppers May 2019 #7
That's what I was wondering. It's freaking NASA. Flaleftist May 2019 #8
Except that you can't do destructive tests on finished parts krispos42 May 2019 #15
You are correct JunkYardDogg May 2019 #19
Sikorsky is a beast about this stuff krispos42 May 2019 #20
Sapa appears to be an International company pimpbot May 2019 #10
+1 dalton99a May 2019 #11
Republican solution will be to undo those pesky regulations so this Corporation can carry on. Midnight Writer May 2019 #12
Link to the DoJ PR nitpicker May 2019 #13
Link to more background nitpicker May 2019 #14
Total LOSS to taxpayers--$654 million but we can't afford the ACA and Social Security............ Bengus81 May 2019 #17
Jesus...Fuckin'...Christ... Blue_Tires May 2019 #21

cstanleytech

(26,080 posts)
4. That and holding the owners criminally liable and by that I mean with decades of jail time rather
Wed May 1, 2019, 07:00 PM
May 2019

that the current fad of having the companies settle with a measly fine.

ancianita

(35,812 posts)
6. Absolutely. But first things first -- go for "harm" argument against the charter that
Wed May 1, 2019, 07:38 PM
May 2019

exists only to ensure profit at the expense of the national security interests.

NASA might be pure science, but more Americans benefit from it and are *harmed* by such fraud than have the right to profit from this company. So a slap on the financial wrist is inadequate remedy for the nation.

groundloop

(11,488 posts)
2. What's scary - if they supplied NASA they probably also supplied aircraft manufacturers
Wed May 1, 2019, 06:39 PM
May 2019

But hey, aluminum is aluminum, right?



Bengus81

(6,907 posts)
16. Reminds me of payments Boeing has made to the Feds..........
Thu May 2, 2019, 11:52 AM
May 2019

And of COURSE make no guilty claim and get another load of $100 million $$$ contracts. That Company in the article is barred from doing work for the Gov.

So...file BK,close it down and then start it right back up under a different name.

Duppers

(28,094 posts)
7. NASA has in-house ways of testing these metals.
Wed May 1, 2019, 08:01 PM
May 2019

If they were not tested in-house, it's because of personnel reductions ordered during Shrub's admin.

Flaleftist

(3,473 posts)
8. That's what I was wondering. It's freaking NASA.
Wed May 1, 2019, 08:31 PM
May 2019

I would have assumed any part they put in space would have been tested and retested to guarantee it meets the required specs.

krispos42

(49,445 posts)
15. Except that you can't do destructive tests on finished parts
Thu May 2, 2019, 06:16 AM
May 2019

And non destructive testing is limited, especially if the parts have been anodized or otherwise coated.

My company makes parts that get used by Sikorsky, JPL, and SpaceX, and we certify everything to high heaven. But of a vendor or supplier lies to us, we will have a hard time knowing unless it's visually obvious.

Something like the wrong temper of aluminum we have to rely on the manufacturer's cert, unless the customer specifically requests test samples made from the same material.

JunkYardDogg

(873 posts)
19. You are correct
Thu May 2, 2019, 03:25 PM
May 2019

I go into numerous subcontractors who make aerospace/defense contractor parts
They all take seriously the whole process of parts & metals testing
And failed parts do end up in their scrap bins
I have seen all types of bad material rejects.

krispos42

(49,445 posts)
20. Sikorsky is a beast about this stuff
Thu May 2, 2019, 05:02 PM
May 2019

Chain of custody from the mill source to us, everything to their Materials & Process index and their own internal specs, they have their own list of approved suppliers AND what they are approved for, etc.

We typically spend far more time on paperwork than inspection!

pimpbot

(937 posts)
10. Sapa appears to be an International company
Wed May 1, 2019, 09:38 PM
May 2019

Looks like it was bought out by an international conglomerate in 2000. Oh hey thats right when they started committing fraud!

https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=675956
"Sapa Profiles, Inc. was founded in 1964 and is based in Portland, Oregon. As of September 1, 2000, Sapa Profiles, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Sapa AB."

Then in 2013 it was purchased by another international conglomerate:
https://www.hydro.com/en/about-hydro/history/2006--/2013-The-worlds-biggest-manufacturer-of-aluminium-extrusions/

The jackass CEO is pictured in the middle. He was the CFO then appointed CEO:
https://www.orkla.com/news/svein-tore-holsether-appointed-new-ceo-of-sapa/

Oh and of course he quit in 2015 and moved on to a new company, some international agribusiness:
https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=51446932&privcapId=9235643

These cockroaches never get caught. They just slip away and onto some new company. One wonders who hires these losers. I guess other losers who are on the board. Losers hiring losers and they just move around, never getting their justice.

Bengus81

(6,907 posts)
17. Total LOSS to taxpayers--$654 million but we can't afford the ACA and Social Security............
Thu May 2, 2019, 11:54 AM
May 2019

According to Republicans...........

Blue_Tires

(55,445 posts)
21. Jesus...Fuckin'...Christ...
Thu May 2, 2019, 05:12 PM
May 2019

I guess I should look at the bright side and say nobody had to die horribly before this fraud was discovered...

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