Hoo-Rizon 1: Subscale Sounding Rocket; The Effects of Unethical Decision-Making in the Aerospace Industry: A Boeing Case Study

The overarching goal for both my technical project and STS research paper was to build engineering and ethical skills that would help undergraduate engineers succeed as professionals in the aerospace industry. The technical project surrounded the design and development of a sub-scale sounding rocket, launched to approximately 2,500 feet in altitude. Through the design process, we honed skills in problem-solving, structural analysis, and control systems, setting the groundwork for consecutive capstones and future job opportunities. The STS research paper took a deep dive into a case study of the Boeing company. This case study portrayed the numerous ill-advised executive decisions to ignore safe practices in manufacturing, which ended up having detrimental effects on the financial situation of the company due to a lack of public trust. Although these two projects did not have a direct relationship, they both contributed to unique skills that engineers should learn in undergraduate schooling, required to succeed as professionals.

Through successfully designing, manufacturing, and launching a sub-scale sounding rocket into the lower atmosphere, undergraduate engineers gained crucial engineering skills for the workforce. The team was split into three subteams: aerobody, avionics, and propulsion. I served as the technical lead for the propulsion subteam. By using programs such as OpenRocket and Solidworks, the propulsion subteam was able to design a feasible engine based on the desired altitude and confirm the structural abilities of each component for flight. Although there was a recovery failure of the rocket, by carefully documenting our work, opinions, challenges, and advice, future rocket capstones will be able to continue to improve our design for more successful launches.

The STS research portion of my project provided a comprehensive view of how the decisions made by Boeing executives to expedite the production of the 737 Max affected the company internally and externally. When Airbus, a primary competitor in the commercial airline industry, released its state-of-the-art aircraft, Boeing responded by rapidly increasing the production of its new aircraft. To do this, the company overworked employees, abandoned safety protocols and manufacturing checks, and lied about the novelty of the planes. The quality of the 737 Max was consequently greatly diminished. This led to two major crashes in 2018 and 2019, killing a total of 346 passengers and crew. The economic effects of this were also massive, as the company sold just 6% of the 737 Max planes in 2019 compared to 2018. The analysis section of the paper described the root cause of these problems and what can be done to solve them in the future. To regain the trust of the public, Boeing must prioritize the safety of their aircraft over economic greed. Understanding case studies such as this is the best way for undergraduate engineers to learn to prioritize ethics and to set ourselves up to succeed as professional engineers.

The skills I gained from completing both the technical project and the STS research paper are critical for my success in the future. The technical project allowed me to physically work through a design and manufacturing project. Being able to work in a team with a diverse skill set is integral to creating a successful product, and this project provided me with the communication skills required for group work. However, these physical skills would not mean much without the ethical decision-making skills I gained from researching the Boeing case study. Boeing has been the face of the American aerospace industry for decades due to the skills of the engineers who worked there. However, when executives changed the company’s culture to prioritize quantity over quality and disregard ethical practices, detrimental economic effects occurred. With the combination of the engineering and ethical skills gained from the technical and STS portions of this project, I am confident and prepared to succeed as a professional in the aerospace industry.

The technical portion of my project would not have been possible without the expertise of Professor Michael McPherson. He provided advice and mentorship that was integral to the success of our rocket. The viewpoint of Mr. Ed Pierson provided an unrivaled look into the internal structure of the Boeing company. The analysis section of the STS research revolved around his experiences, so I would also like to acknowledge his efforts in my paper.

School of Engineering and Applied Science

Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering

Technical Advisors: Haibo Dong, Chen Cui

STS Advisor: Richard D. Jacques

Technical Team Members: Ben Cohen, Ethan Fouch, George Hubbard, Nikita Joy, Youchan Kim, Jacob Lewis, Tyler MacFarlane, Jean-Pierre Manapsal, Connor Owens, Luke Pritchard, Omid Sayyadli, Kushi Sethuram, Swedha Skandakumar, Laurel Supplee