Try as it might, Boeing just can’t get its Starliner spacecraft off the ground.
Saturday, Boeing I had to rub the launch of its much-maligned astronaut shuttle once again due to a delay triggered by an automated computer system. Poor NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who hoped to finally reach the International Space Station, are still grounded at press time, waiting for the space society to get its act together.
Engineers later discovered that the flight was stopped 3 minutes and 50 seconds after takeoff by the three redundant computer racks. be out of sync by six secondstriggering an automatic hold.
Boeing and NASA are now planning another attempt on Wednesday or Thursday this week.
The scrub follows many years of delays, technical setbacks and a failed attempt without crew to reach the ISS – a long list of missteps, errors of judgment and bad luck.
Last year, NASA and Boeing discovered flammable tape inside the spacecraft as well as problems with its parachutes.
Then a launch attempt on May 6 was unceremoniously canceled with the astronauts already on board. After hearing a strange “buzzing“, officials discovered a faulty oxygen valve on United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket.
Another helium leak, discovered late last month, was quickly pushed under the rugwith officials saying it would not be a problem even if the situation worsened significantly.
In short, the latest delay shouldn’t be that surprising after all the chaos – and it wouldn’t be surprising if the launch was pushed back even further than this week’s tentative date.
“I know it’s a little disappointing,” said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s commercial crew program. told reporters during the weekend. “We were all excited, and Butch and Suni couldn’t wait to fly. That’s kind of how spaceflight goes… Any time you go to the platform for a crewed flight or any what theft, you have the opportunity to clean up “.
The stakes for the entrepreneur are considerable. Without a successful crewed test flight under its belt, NASA will not certify Boeing’s Starliner for regular cargo and crew missions to the ISS.
Meanwhile, SpaceX has been circling Boeing, with the manufacturing of its Crew Dragon capsule. ten successful trips to the ISS over the past five years.
Pam Melroy, NASA Deputy Administrator called Boeing’s long-delayed test flight is an “existential” moment for the company. Worse yet, the aerospace giant is mired in controversy on Earth, facing glaring safety issues affecting its fleet of passenger planes, including a “door stopper” that exploded of a 737 Max 9 in January, without forgetting other planes lose parts in full flight and its CEO leaves under a dark cloud.
Simply put, Boeing’s Starliner remains a huge headache for the company, and the longer it delays its test flight, the bigger the cost overruns. That’s thanks to the company’s “fixed-price” contract under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which requires Boeing to absorb those costs.
As it stands, Boeing still has a lot to prove, and with its Starliner on hold, the pressure will only increase on the company – especially since its spacecraft has been rendered obsolete in many ways. respects by the proven alternative of SpaceX.
Learn more about Starliner: Boeing Says Spacecraft Leak is 100% OK and Will Launch Astronauts Without Fixing It
