The launch of Boeing’s Starliner capsule, which would carry two astronauts to the International Space Station for the first time, has been postponed until further notice. The mission, which had already encountered problems with the rocket and helium tanks, was paused, NASA said Tuesday. Recall that the agency had scheduled the launch for today.
New delays for the Starliner capsule
NASA explained that the team was together for two consecutive days, evaluating flight justification, system performance and redundancy. According to the space agency, there is still work to be done in these areas and the next launch opportunity is under discussion. NASA will share more details once they have a clearer path forward.
At the moment, there is not much more information other than this statement, so it is unclear whether or not the is unclear whether the problem of he l ium leak in the ship’s propulsion system is the sole cause of the current delay.
It is worth mentioning that the Starliner program as a whole has experienced delays for years. However, it looked as if the ongoing technical problems were coming to an end when Boeing and NASA announced the continuation of the mission on May 6. That launch was cancelled due to a problem with the ULA Atlas rocket and was rescheduled for May 17.
However, on May 14, Boeing reported that the launch was delayed due to the helium leak and rescheduled for today. Now, this date has also been discarded.
Technical challenges on the Starliner mission
Boeing and NASA have provided some additional updates on the mission, but have not held a press conference since the launch cancellation earlier this month.
It is important to note that the lives of the two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, are at stake in this first manned mission, so it is understandable that NASA and Boeing are extremely cautious about technical issues. This mission also represents the final test Boeing must pass before NASA certifies the capsule to transport astronauts to and from the ISS on a regular basis.
Finally, only then will Boeing be able to begin fulfilling the terms of its multibillion-dollar astronaut transportation contract, awarded in 2014.
Competition with SpaceX
SpaceX was also awarded a contract for astronaut transportation services and has been fulfilling it since 2020 with its Dragon capsule.
An interesting aspect to consider is how these delays impact commercial space competition. SpaceX, with its Dragon capsule, has been successfully providing astronaut transportation services since 2020. This puts additional pressure on Boeing to solve its technical problems and demonstrate that its Starliner capsule is equally reliable and safe.
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Source and photo: techcrunch
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