wh00ley 06 wrote...
Sorry if this has been raised before but why wouldn't they just slingshot rocks or Batarians through it to see if it works rather than a high-tech prototype ship full of the people who stopped the Reapers? As punishment for helping Shepard destroy the relays? Even push a dead Reaper through one. And I have no experience in mass relay technology as it doesn't exist, but if I crashed a spaceship at FTL speeds I wouldn't walk out grinning like a cretin.
Yes, It was actually rised here many times:
(1) There were definitely some tests with empty ships prior to full-staffed tests.
(2) Full-staffed tests are also very important. A lot of them in fact.
(3) Normandy and its crew could perform the very first full-staffed flight test.
(4) Normandy itself and its usual crew are ready to extremal situations more then anyone else.
(5) They obviously could volunteer for such an important task.
...Please, do not treat Normandy crew like some kind of "Kings" who should never risk their lives performing some dangerous tasks. The hole game is about them risking their lives each and every day.