Boeing Starliner Capsule’s First Crewed Test Flight Postponed at Last Minute After Yet Another Issue

A computer trouble delayed a last-minute launch attempt for Boeing's first crewed flight, the latest in a series of delays over the years.

Last-Minute Abort Command

On June 1, Boeing Starliner was only less than four minutes prior to liftoff atop the fully fueled Atlas V rocket placed at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station when an automatic abort command was triggered. Two NASA astronauts were seated in the capsule when one of the computers managing the countdown from the base of the launch pad ran into a problem.

The countdown was automatically stopped at 3 minutes and 50 seconds by the system that controls the final minutes before launch. It was only a split second before liftoff and there was no time to address the latest problem, so the launch had to be called off.

Technicians raced to the launch pad to help Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams out of the capsule. The hatch was reopened within one house of the launch abort.

The rocket used in the capsule was made by aerospace and defense company United Launch Alliance (ULA). According to ULA CEO Tory Bruno, the team cannot get to the computers to fix the problem until the rocket is drained of all its fuel. One of the three redundant computers placed near the rocket at the pad was found to be inactive, and the team cannot proceed with the launch if the pads are not all working properly.

In a statement released by NASA, the agency stated that it would forgo a Crew Flight Test launch on June 2. This would allow the team to examine a ground support equipment issue at Space Launch Complex-41 in Florida.

Depending on what component needs to be fixed, the next launch attempt might be scheduled as early as June 5 or June 6, according to NASA. If it does not successfully blast off this week, then it might be postponed until mid-June to give more time in replacing the batteries and moving the rocket off the launch pad.

A String of Setbacks

The scheduled liftoff was the second launch attempt for the Boeing Starliner. The first attempt was on May 6 which was delayed due to leak checks and rocket repairs.

Because of the delays, NASA plans a backup to SpaceX, which has been sending astronauts outside the Earth since 2020. Boeing was supposed to launch its first crew around the same time as SpaceX, but the first uncrewed test flight in 2019 was troubled by severe software issues and never reached the International Space Station.

In 2022, a redo fared better, but more delays were brought by parachute problems and flammability issues. Last month, a small helium leak in the propulsion system of the capsule came on top of a rocket valve failure.

Before the planned liftoff on Saturday, more valve issues cropped up two hours prior. However, the team was able to use a backup circuit to make the ground-equipment valves work for the rocket's upper stage. Although the launch controllers were relieved and determined to push ahead, the effort was ended by the ground launch sequencer.