First crewed flight of Boeing Starliner postponed again

By: 6 months ago

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – MAY 07: Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft sits atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at Space Launch Complex 41 after the planned launch of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test was scrubbed on Tuesday, May 07, 2024, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. ULA’s launch director declared a scrub on Monday night due to a faulty oxygen relief valve on the Atlas V rocket’s second stage. ULA’s team is working to determine if the valve has enough lifespan to try another launch attempt later this week. Joe Raedle/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by JOE RAEDLE / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

First crewed flight of Boeing Starliner postponed again — CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – MAY 07: Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft sits atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at Space Launch Complex 41 after the planned launch of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test was scrubbed on Tuesday, May 07, 2024, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. ULA’s launch director declared a scrub on Monday night due to a faulty oxygen relief valve on the Atlas V rocket’s second stage. ULA’s team is working to determine if the valve has enough lifespan to try another launch attempt later this week. Joe Raedle/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by JOE RAEDLE / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

WASHINGTON, United States — The first crewed launch of Boeing’s Starliner to the International Space Station has been delayed again due to a technical issue, NASA said Friday.

The launch in Florida was scheduled for Tuesday but NASA said it is now planned for May 25 to allow teams to further assess a helium leak linked to the service module, which sits on top of the rocket.

Earlier this month, a Starliner launch was postponed just hours before lift-off, with the astronauts already strapped in, due to a separate technical issue.

“The additional time allows teams to further assess” the helium leak, NASA said on its website.

READ: Boeing’s Starliner set for historic astronaut launch on May 6

The two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, are in the meantime staying in Houston, Texas until the mission is ready.

It is another delay in the highly anticipated mission which has faced years of delays and comes at a challenging time for Boeing, as safety questions surround the century-old aerospace titan’s commercial aviation arm.

READ: Boeing’s Starliner off course in orbit after launch debut

NASA is banking on Starliner’s success for its goal of certifying a second commercial vehicle to carry crews to the International Space Station.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX already achieved this in 2020 with its Dragon capsule, ending a nearly decade-long dependence on Russian rockets following the end of the Space Shuttle program.