Nuked Hello my fellow tech enthusiasts! Today we have some exciting news about Boeing’s Starliner aircraft, but unfortunately, the crew flight test has been delayed due to a valve problem.
As the astronauts were getting ready for their historic journey, officials had to scrub Monday night’s launch attempt due to a faulty oxygen relief valve observation on the ULA Atlas V rocket’s Centaur second stage. There is still hope for a launch on Tuesday night, but it remains uncertain if they can reset that quickly.
Starliner has had its fair share of delays in the past, with its first uncrewed test flight in 2019 facing failure before successfully docking at the International Space Station in 2022. NASA had originally planned for Starliner’s first crewed flight to take place last May, but technical issues forced a delay.
The launch was set for 10:34PM ET from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, with a livestream available on NASA’s YouTube channel. The United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket will propel the Starliner to space, where it will spend one week at the ISS.
During their time on board, flight commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams will test the capabilities of the Starliner, including launching, docking, and its return to Earth. If successful, NASA will certify Starliner for future astronaut missions, potentially giving SpaceX some competition in the space travel industry.
