TechStarliner's maiden crewed mission to ISS aborted due to rocket flaw

Starliner's maiden crewed mission to ISS aborted due to rocket flaw

The first crewed flight of the Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station has been cancelled. Boeing's vehicle won't make it due to a problem with the launch rocket.

Cancelled launch of Starliner

Images source: © Getty Images | Orlando Sentinel

KLT

7 May 2024 11:42

TAgencies report that the first manned mission of the Starliner to the ISS was cancelled. Boeing, which built the spacecraft, announced at Cape Canaveral in Florida that the launch was called off because of an issue with the rocket that was supposed to launch it.

The cancellation came late in the preparation stage. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were already in the capsule when the countdown was halted. Engineer Dillon Rice from United Launch Alliance later explained that a faulty oxygen valve in the rocket's upper stage was detected, leading to the cancellation.

We still don't know when the new launch date will be. This marks yet another setback for the Starliner's first crewed flight, which has faced repeated delays due to technical issues.

Rice stated that Boeing "is not willing to take any risks", with this being the spacecraft's first manned mission. However, the Starliner's early track record is not very promising.

Its inaugural launch, which was uncrewed, failed in 2019. The capsule entered an incorrect orbit and failed to reach the ISS, necessitating a redo of the flight. Subsequent tests revealed more technical problems.

NASA commissioned the Starliner from Boeing a decade ago. At the time, Boeing and Elon Musk's SpaceX were tasked with developing and producing a vehicle for transporting astronauts to and from the ISS. To date, the Starliner has struggled to meet its milestones. In contrast, SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft has conducted successful orbital flights since 2020.