Boeing Starliner first launched with NAS…

BoeingThe first Starliner flight with astronauts on board was canceled at the last minute on Saturday.

The company is targeting a June 1 launch of the capsule, which will carry astronauts to the International Space Station for the first time in a major test of the system.

The launch hold was automatically issued for an unspecified reason, NASA said in a broadcast, with less than four minutes remaining in the countdown. Holds on rocket launch countdowns — as well as “scrubs,” which indicate launch delays — are a common occurrence in the industry. The crew on board is safe and will disembark.

Two NASA astronauts aboard the Starliner capsule, which will be carried by United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket to the International Space Station.

Boeing already has backup launch dates scheduled, including Sunday at 12:03 pm EDT. Depending on the cause of the launch scrub, Boeing and NASA may reschedule the launch for another attempt 24 hours later, or target an alternative launch date of June 5 or June 6.

NASA and Boeing canceled the launch attempt in early May because of problems detected with the rocket. ULA, a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martinreplace rocket problem valve.

After canceling the May effort, NASA and Boeing discovered a “minor” helium leak in the Starliner, prompting the agency and company to conduct another series of assessments. After analysis, NASA and Boeing believe the source of the leak is in the spacecraft’s helium propulsion system. But officials said last week that the leak was “stable” and “not an aviation safety issue.”

The Starliner crew debut has been delayed for years, with rival SpaceX’s Dragon capsule flying astronauts for NASA regularly starting in 2020 under the agency’s Commercial Crew program. So far, Boeing has eaten $1.5 billion in costs due to the Starliner setback and NASA’s nearly $5 billion in development funding.

The spacecraft was once seen as a competitor to SpaceX’s Dragon. However, various setbacks and constant delays have left the Starliner in a backup position for NASA, with the agency taking the rare step of commissioning astronauts from Boeing’s first crewed flight in 2021. Boeing is contracted to fly six operational Starliner missions to the ISS. Saturday’s crew flight test was the last major step before receiving NASA certification to begin regular missions.

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams flew the Starliner, the former as the spacecraft commander and the latter as the pilot.

Wilmore joined NASA in 2000 and has flown into space twice before on the Space Shuttle and the Russian Soyuz. Before NASA, Wilmore was a US Navy pilot.

Williams was selected by NASA in 1998 and has also flown into space twice before, on the Space Shuttle and then the Soyuz. Williams was also a Navy pilot like Wilmore before joining the space agency.

The Starliner was launched on ULA’s Atlas V. The rocket made its debut in 2002, and the Starliner crew test flight marked its 100th launch.

The capsule itself is built to carry up to four NASA astronauts per flight and more than 200 pounds of research and cargo. Spacecraft use parachute and airbag systems. The Starliner is reusable, with each capsule designed to fly up to 10 missions.

Boeing’s crewed flight test aims to certify that the Starliner system can carry NASA astronauts to and from the ISS.

If Starliner launches on Saturday, it will be in space about 25 hours before its planned docking with the International Space Station at 1:50 p.m. on Sunday. The astronauts will then spend about a week on the ISS, focused on testing the Starliner, before returning to Earth.