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The first manned flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has not yet taken off more than two weeks after its originally scheduled launch date, and it is currently unclear when it will take off. NASA announced in a statement emailed to reporters late Tuesday that it was canceling the launch scheduled for May 25. Starliner’s first crewed mission has already been rescheduled multiple times, but this time NASA has not set a new launch date. “NASA will release more details once the path forward is clear,” NASA said in a statement. space news.
The first attempt earlier in the month was halted after a defect was discovered in an oxygen relief valve on the ULA Atlas V rocket carrying the Starliner. Technicians replaced the valve, and the Starliner was scheduled to fly later that week, but that attempt was also postponed. On May 14, NASA Engineers say they are working to resolve a helium leak in the spacecraft’s propulsion system. In an update several days later, NASA said the leak was “stable and does not pose a risk at that level during flight.” A new target release date was set at that time, and it was eventually rescheduled, but the issue appears to be ongoing.
“The team has been meeting for two consecutive days to evaluate flight rationale, system performance, and redundancy,” the agency said in its latest update. Space News. “There is still forward-looking work in these areas, and the possibility of the next launch is still being discussed.” Until now Starliner’s development has been defined by delays, but the mission includes Butch Wilmore and The stakes are especially high because Suni Williams’ two astronauts will be on board. Now is not the time to start cutting corners.