New launch delay for Starliner, Boeing’s crewed space mission, now to May 17

Boeing and NASA have again delayed the launch of the spacecraft’s first manned space mission. Starliner on May 17 due to the need to replace a valve on the Atlas V launch vehicle, the US space agency said.

Mission leaders had set a departure date from Florida, US, for this Friday after being canceled with about two hours left before last Monday’s scheduled takeoff when some valve faults were discovered.

Boeing later reported that mission control detected “anomalous behavior of the pressure control valve.” liquid oxygen cylinder upper stage” rocket Atlas V launcher from the company United Starter Alliance (ULA).

After completing the data analysis, ULA decided to replace this valve, which would require removing the rocket with the spacecraft on top of the launch pad and take it to the hangar where the operation will take place.

Boeing CFT (Crew Flight Test) mission with astronauts from NASA Barry butcher Wilmore and Sunita Williams, as crew members, are seeking NASA certifications to serve as a second provider of crew and cargo transportation services to the so-called orbiting laboratory, a service it has already provided since 2020. SpaceX.