Boeing's Starliner Space Taxi Launch Postponed Again Due to Rocket Concerns

After multiple delays, the highly anticipated first crewed flight of Boeing's Starliner space taxi was postponed yet again due to concerns about a valve on the upper stage of United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket.

The liftoff was scheduled for 10:34 p.m. ET today from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 41 in Florida. However, launch managers called for a hold with a little over 2 hours left in the countdown after NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams had already boarded the capsule.

United Launch Alliance's Dillon Rice stated, "The team has had some observations on an oxygen relief valve on our Centaur second stage, and the team is just not comfortable with the signatures that they're seeing, the response out of that valve. So, out of an abundance of caution, we are not going to continue with our launch operations today."

The astronauts were subsequently escorted out of the capsule, and engineers began preparing to troubleshoot the valve issue. Mission managers did not provide an immediate schedule for another launch attempt.

Should the launch proceed, it will mark the first crewed launch on an Atlas rocket since the 1960s. However, this mission will be fundamentally different from those of the past. NASA astronauts Wilmore and Williams are expected to travel to the International Space Station for a shakedown cruise in the gumdrop-shaped Starliner spacecraft.

Spacecraft Development

NASA selected Boeing and SpaceX to transport astronauts to and from the space station a decade ago. The companies' development costs were covered by fixed-price contracts worth $4.2 billion for Boeing and $2.6 billion for SpaceX. SpaceX's Crew Dragon entered service first and has since completed eight successful missions for NASA. Conversely, Boeing's CST-100 Starliner encountered challenges during its development, leading to significant delays and additional costs.

Once launched, Wilmore and Williams plan to spend approximately a week on the International Space Station conducting orbital checkouts of the reusable Starliner craft, which has been named Calypso in honor of the late ocean explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau's famous research ship.

Future Plans

If the demonstration mission is successful, Boeing's Starliner will become a regular transportation option alongside SpaceX's Crew Dragon for ferrying astronauts to the space station every six months. Despite being designed to accommodate up to seven spacefliers, the initial test mission will only carry two astronauts.

Additionally, Boeing's involvement in projects such as Orbital Reef, a commercial space station initiative, and a partnership with Space Adventures for commercial space travel, showcases the company's ambitious plans for the future.

Having these multiple providers will ensure redundancy and significantly enhance the capability to transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station, as well as support future commercial space ventures.