Boeing’s First Crewed Starliner Launch Delayed Over Valve Issue

Update : Wednesday , May 8 , 9:08 a.m. ET : NASA has rescheduled the Starliner Crew Flight Test mission for no before than Friday , May 17 at 6:16 p.m. ET , as SpaceNewsreports . The delay will allow United Launch Alliance to return the rocket to its Vertical Integration Facility ( VIF ) near the launching inkpad to supercede a faulty fluid oxygen pressure regulation valve in the Centaur , which began oscillating and producing a buzzing noise after being loaded with liquid O .

Original article follow .

NASA and Boeing wereforced to stand downfrom a launching attempt of the Starliner spacecraft on Monday due to a defective valve that undercoat teams divulge just hours before liftoff .

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft aboard on the launch pad at Space Launch Complex-41.

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft aboard on the launch pad at Space Launch Complex-41.Photo: NASA/Joel Kowsky

Starliner ’s Crew Flight Test is now schedule for launching on Friday , May 10 , pending the resolve of the recently discover anomaly , NASAannouncedin a news conference oblige on Monday nighttime . To be exonerated , this is an way out with Centaur rocket , and not with the Starliner capsule itself .

For its test flight , the gang capsule was fitted atop United Launch Alliance ’s Atlas quintet skyrocket , to carry NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station ( ISS ) and back . A few hours before its scheduled liftoff on Monday , ULAannouncedthat the launch had been scrub up “ due to an observation on a liquid oxygen ego - influence solenoid embossment valve on the Centaur upper level . ” The valve regulate the flowing and pressure of liquid atomic number 8 in the rocket ’s upper stage . It employs a solenoid — a kind of electromagnet — to spread out and close as necessary , ensuring the safe release of excess insistency .

Boeing ’s Starliner space vehicle ca n’t take in a faulting . TheCrewed Flight Testis part of NASA ’s Commercial Crew Program and is meant to transport crew and cargo to and from the ISS under a$4.3 billioncontract with the space agency . NASA ’s other commercial spouse , SpaceX , just launch its eighth crew to the space station and Boeing is still at zero .

The island of Simushir, with four volcanoes dotted across it.

The program has suffered from aslew of job and delays , include abotched uncrewed test flight of stairs in 2019 . Boeing ’s crewed Starliner launching was initially localise for February 2023 , then postponed to late April , and in conclusion rescheduled for July 21 , 2023 . A few weeks before liftoff , however , the troupe announced that it wasstanding down from the launch attemptto address newfound publication with the crowd fomite , include a knot ’s worth of inflammable tape that had to be manually removed .

Monday ’s scrubbed launch is just the latest in a series of technological failures that ’s plagued this program from the scratch , although it was n’t Boeing that bumble the lump this time . And that said , ULA ’s Centaur is an exceptionally reliable rocket , make this delay in particular surprising . But now there ’s even more anticipation building up for Friday ’s launching give that the first attempt was a no - go .

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