Subpar aluminum parts manufactured by Sapa Profiles, Inc. (SPI) led to the failure of two NASA satellite launches in 2009 and 2011, resulting in losses of $700 million, the US space agency stated[pdf] on Tuesday.
SPI tried to hide the poor quality of the aluminum parts it supplied to NASA by “brazenly falsifying test results,” a US Attorney told the US Department of Justice. The company also “provided the false test results to hundreds of customers across the country, all to increase corporate profits and obtain production-based bonuses.” SPI defrauded the NASA, the Department of Defense and other entities for 19 years and now needs to pay $46 million to NASA and other affected customers.
Read more: NASA Says $700 Million in Rocket Failures Caused by Fraudster Company
