Boeing Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Use of ‘Counterfeit’ Tools on NASA Rockets

Boeing faces a lawsuit, which sheds light on allegations that it uses "counterfeit" tools for its NASA projects, including the SLS rocket.

The lawsuit, filed by a small tools firm, also accused the giant rocket maker of risking people's lives by using counterfeit versions.

Boeing Lawsuit Alleges Use of 'Counterfeit' NASA Rocket Tools

(Photo : Joel Kowsky/NASA via Getty Images)
CAPE CANAVERAL, FL - MAY 19: In this handout photo provided by NASA, a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeings CST-100 Starliner spacecraft launches from Space Launch Complex 41 on May 19, 2022 in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The giant rocket maker Boeing finds itself at the center of a lawsuit. According to a report by CNBC, a family-run Colorado firm, Wilson Aerospace, which offers a wide range of tools, brought the giant American firm Boeing to court.

The aircraft manufacturing giant faces accusations of using "counterfeit" tools on crucial NASA rockets, raising concerns about the integrity of their space exploration projects. Wilson Aerospace, a long-time supplier, has taken legal action against Boeing, claiming that the company brazenly stole intellectual property (IP) associated with NASA initiatives.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Seattle, alleges that Boeing used Wilson Aerospace's proprietary data and designs to create counterfeit tools used on the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. It is worth noting that the SLS is a new rocket that NASA is developing to send astronauts back to the moon as part of the ambitious Artemis project.

As per the Daily Mail Online, the test flight of the SLS rocket, which costs over $4 billion, is under the first phase of the Artemis program for lunar explorations. The lawsuit blames the inferior quality of the "counterfeit" tools for the leaks in the SLS project, which allegedly risked the lives of several people, including the astronauts.

The lawsuit bares accusations against the giant rocket maker, such as theft of trade secrets and copyright infringement. The complaints also claim that Boeing has canceled its contract with Wilson. Yet, the rocket maker allegedly proceeded to use the intellectual property of the Colorado firm despite that lack of "full instructions" on installing and building the tools.

In an interview, Wilson's lawyer, Pete Flowers, told CNBC that the damages are "hard to quantify." But he pointed out that Boeing wounded the family-run firm roughly around "hundreds of millions of dollars."

Boeing Denies the Lawsuit Claims

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CHICAGO - NOVEMBER 28: The Boeing logo hangs on the corporate world headquarters building of Boeing November 28, 2006 in Chicago, Illinois.

Boeing has denied the allegations in the lawsuit. Its spokesperson told Ars Technica that the Seattle-filed complaint is filled with "inaccuracies." It also pointed out that the lawsuit is "rife with omissions."

However, the giant rocket maker declined to specifically point out the "inaccuracies" and "omissions" in the 74-page lawsuit. Instead, Boeing is set to face the lawsuit in proper channels, saying they "will vigorously defend against this in court."

Boeing has touted its NASA rocket, the SLS, as a monumental innovation, describing it as the most powerful rocket ever developed.