NASA delays Boeing Starliner launch after rocket issue. When is it set to happen now?
NASA announced another blastoff delay for the Boeing Starliner after a data review revealed a valve issue.
Around 8:30 p.m. ET, a little over two hours before the scheduled rocket launch at 10:34 p.m., NASA made the decision to delay the launch on May 6 at Kennedy Space Center, NASA Communications Officer, Megan Cruz said during the news conference.
NASA is now eyeing a May 17 at 6:16 p.m. ET launch date after the United Launch Alliance (ULA) initially said that the launch would not be able to take place any earlier than Friday. Mission engineers requested the delay in order to have time to replace a pressure regulation valve on the rocket's liquid oxygen tank, NASA said Wednesday.
After completing a data review on Tuesday, the ULA team replaced a pressure regulation valve on the liquid oxygen tank on the Atlas V rocket’s Centaur upper stage, NASA’s news release said.
ULA rolled the rocket and the Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft back to its Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Wednesday. There, the rocket will undergo several checks and replacements to prepare for the next launch, NASA said.
More on launch:What to know about the Boeing Starliner carrying 2 astronauts
Why was the launch delayed?
During the pre-launch operations, the oxidization behavior of the pressure regulation valve led to the decision to delay the launch on May 6. Crew members and astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams exited out of the Space Launch Complex-41, the new release said.
Speaking about the delay NASA administrators acknowledged how viewers might feel after the delay announcement.
“I know everybody was eager to see a launch. It would’ve been happening right about now,” Ken Bowersox, associate administrator at NASA space operations missions directive, said during the news conference. “And probably feeling a little disappointed that we didn’t get to see the launch, but all I want to say first is that good things are worth waiting for. And we’ll get a chance to see that rocket and spacecraft lift off the pad here soon.”
After the valve history was analyzed to assess the risks of continued use, the ULA team and mission managers agreed that the valve need to be removed and replaced, the new release said.
Although they understand how many people might feel the government agency wants to make sure the launch goes off with out a hitch.
“As Suni has told us a couple of times, there’s nothing magical about a certain date to launch on, so we’re taking it one step at a time,” said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s commercial crew program. “We’re going to launch when we’re ready and fly when its safe to do so.”
Both astronauts will remain in quarantine at NASA Kennedy Space Center until the next launch.
USA TODAY reached out to NASA for comment but have not heard back yet.
What is the Boeing Starliner?
The Starliner was designed to accommodate no more than seven passengers for missions to low-Earth orbit.
For NASA, the capsule is intended to carry four astronauts along with a mix of cargo and other scientific instruments to and from the International Space Station.
Williams, 58, and Wilmore, 61, were selected for the inaugural crewed flight of the Starliner, which completed two previous flight tests with no one aboard. Both astronauts are Navy veterans who have each ventured to space twice before.
Once the Starliner launches and reaches the space station, the astronauts are scheduled to spend a little more than a week testing the spacecraft and its subsystems before they board the capsule for a return trip to Earth. The craft will land in the American Southwest using parachutes that will slow it down to 4 mph before inflating large airbags.
Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]