NASA has postponed the first crewed mission of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) to no earlier than May 21. The delay comes after a technical glitch led to the scrubbing of the initial May 6 launch attempt from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket, set to carry the Starliner, encountered issues that necessitated immediate attention. On May 11, ULA successfully replaced a pressure regulation valve on the rocket’s liquid oxygen tank and conducted thorough re-pressurization and system purges. The newly installed valve passed all performance tests, according to NASA.
Despite these fixes, Starliner teams identified a minor helium leak in the spacecraft’s service module, traced to a flange on a single reaction control system thruster. Helium, used to power thruster systems, is neither combustible nor toxic, but ensuring its integrity is crucial for mission safety. NASA and Boeing are actively developing solutions to address this issue.
The mission will feature NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, marking the first time Boeing’s Starliner will transport crew members to the ISS under the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. The astronauts are expected to spend about a week aboard the space station before returning to Earth with a parachute and airbag-assisted landing in the southwestern United States.
Upon successful completion of this flight test, NASA will move forward with the final certification of Starliner, paving the way for regular crewed missions to the ISS and enhancing the agency’s capabilities in commercial spaceflight.
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NASA delays Boeing Starliner launch to no earlier than May 21
cgtn.com
