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Boeing’s new Starliner space capsule experienced a second delay in its inaugural test flight with NASA astronauts on board, as a computer-abort system automatically halted the launch with minutes to go before liftoff, mission officials said.
The scrubbed launch, following a series of technical issues that were resolved earlier in the countdown, adds to the indefinite delay for the much-anticipated test flight.
The next available launch window is Sunday at about noon local time, but NASA announced that officials would forgo that opportunity without setting a new date. The following possible launch dates are Wednesday, June 5, and Thursday, June 6.
\”We got really close today,\” said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s commercial crew program.
\”I know it’s a little disappointing, we were all excited. This is kind of the way spaceflight is,\” he said.
The postponement on Saturday was due to computers on the Atlas V rocket’s launchpad coordinating the final moments before liftoff. The Starliner capsule itself was deemed healthy.
Executives from Boeing and United Launch Alliance (ULA) hoped to review the computers on Saturday night for a potential launch on Sunday.
The decision to skip the Sunday launch opportunity was made to give the team additional time to assess the issue.
The first crewed voyage of the CST-200 Starliner to the International Space Station remains a critical milestone for Boeing as it competes with SpaceX for NASA contracts.
The Starliner capsule was ready for blast-off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, atop the Atlas V.
However, just minutes before liftoff, an automatic abort command was triggered by a ground system computer, halting the launch sequence.
ULA Chief Executive Tory Bruno stated that the leading causes could be a hardware problem or a network communication issue between the computers controlling automated launch systems.
Boeing’s first attempt to send an uncrewed Starliner to the space station in 2019 failed due to software and engineering issues. A successful second try in 2022 paved the way for the first crewed test mission, which has faced several delays.
The two-member crew, consisting of NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams, were safely assisted out of the capsule after the flight was scrubbed.
Space industry delays are not uncommon, especially with new spacecraft carrying humans for the first time.
Boeing’s Starliner venture, which has faced delays and cost overruns, is crucial for the company as it competes with SpaceX in the space industry.
SpaceX has become a reliable space taxi service for NASA, while NASA sees Starliner as an important vehicle for future missions.
Once launched, the Starliner is expected to dock with the space station after about 24 hours.
The astronauts will stay at the space station for about a week before returning to Earth.
Getting the Starliner to this point has been a challenging process for Boeing under its contract with NASA.