Fuel leaks on NASA's SLS lunar rocket may be linked to Boeing's theft of Wilson Aerospace's intellectual property

By: Maksim Panasovskyi | 10.06.2023, 18:20
Fuel leaks on NASA's SLS lunar rocket may be linked to Boeing's theft of Wilson Aerospace's intellectual property

Boeing has been accused of stealing intellectual property. Moreover, problems with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket could be linked to this.

Here's What We Know

In 2022, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) rolled the rocket from the hangar to the launch pad and back for several months. Several times, fuel leaks occurred while attempting to refuel.

Wilson Aerospace sued Boeing. The large 74-page document states that Boeing is accused of stealing intellectual property between 2014 and 2016. Specifically, it refers to the design of spanners.

The plaintiff claims that Boeing's experts obtained all documentation on the tools, after which they decided to sever the relationship. Because Boeing was unable to recreate the keys exactly from the stolen documents, this led to defects in the SLS rocket and potentially provoked more serious consequences.

In addition, Wilson Aerospace claimed that Boeing used the tools on the International Space Station, putting the lives of astronauts at risk. A lawyer for the company is sure that there are other firms from which Boeing "borrowed" intellectual property.

Source: CNBC