NASA, Boeing now looking to launch first Crewed Boeing Starliner flight to ISS on 25 MayAfter fixing the issue that caused the scrub of the launch on 7 May, engineers identified an additional leak in the helium tank of the support module.
The Boing Starliner Crewed Flight to the International Space Station is now slotted for 25 May.
The Boeing Starliner at the launch pad.
New Delhi: NASA, Boeing and the United Launch Alliance (ULA) have indicated that they will need to take additional time to prepare for the launch of the Boeing Crew Flight Test.
Indian origin astronaut Sunita Williams is the pilot of the first Boeing Starliner crewed flight to the International Space Station.
NASA, Boeing now looking to launch first Crewed Boeing Starliner flight to ISS on 25 May
After fixing the issue that caused the scrub of the launch on 7 May, engineers identified an additional leak in the helium tank of the support module. The Boing Starliner Crewed Flight to the International Space Station is now slotted for 25 May. Such delays are common for developmental hardware.
The Boeing Starliner at the launch pad. (Image Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky).
New Delhi: NASA, Boeing and the United Launch Alliance (ULA) have indicated that they will need to take additional time to prepare for the launch of the Boeing Crew Flight Test. The teams are now targeting a launch no earlier than 15:09 hours EDT or 00:39 hours IST on 25 May, 2024. The additional time allows the engineering teams to examine a small helium tank leak in the service module for the Boeing Starliner, traced to a flange on a single reaction control system thruster. Pressure testing indicated that the leak did not pose a risk for the flight.
The testing also indicated that the rest of the thruster system is effectively sealed across the entire service module. Boeing teams are working to develop the operational procedures to ensure that the system retains sufficient performance capability and has appropriate redundancy during the flight. NASA’s Commercial Crew Programme and the International Space Station Programme are both taking the next few days to review the data and procedures before making a final determination of proceeding with the flight countdown.
The ULA and the Starliner are at the Vertical Integration Facility at the Space Launch Complex-41, on the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Indian origin astronaut Sunita Williams is the pilot of the first Boeing Starliner crewed flight to the International Space Station. Butch Wilmore is the commander of the mission. Both of these experienced astronauts have provided valuable feedback, guiding the development of the crew module.
Multiple delays in the launch
Boeing decided to stand down from the launch on 07 May, 2024, because of a busted valve. The launch would have proceeded if it was a satellite, but the attempt was scrubbed considering there were humans on board. The flight was then scheduled for 17 May, which was then delayed to 21 May after the issue with the helium tank leak was identified. The busted valve in the Centaur upper stage of the Atlas V rocket has been replaced, and its performance verified.
