Boeing Starliner’s first manned mission is postponed just before takeoff

The first manned launch of the Starliner spacecraft from Boeing was delayed two hours before takeoff due to a safety problem related to the rocket’s valve, authorities reported on Monday night, 6.

The two test pilots of NASA had just entered Boeing’s Starliner capsule for a flight to the International Space Station when the countdown was interrupted, just two hours before the planned liftoff.

The space shuttle manufacturer, the United Launch Alliance (ULA), announced that it had detected an anomaly in a valve on the Atlas V rocket, which was supposed to propel the Starliner capsule into orbit. Tory Bruno, the company’s CEO, said an oxygen pressure relief valve on the upper stage of the company’s Atlas rocket began opening and closing, creating a loud buzzing sound.

The valve may have exceeded its 200,000 life cycles, Bruno said, which means it would have to be replaced, postponing the launch until next week.

Theoretically, takeoff could be attempted again on Tuesday, Friday, Saturday or the middle of next week, but this will depend on the analysis of technicians at ULA, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin. If the valve needs to be replaced, the operation will take “several days”, said Tory Bruno, head of ULA, at a press conference. His team will work “through the night” and is expected to present its analysis Tuesday morning, he said.

This was the latest delay to Boeing’s first crew flight, which has been suspended for years due to problems with the capsule.

Bruno said similar valve problems had occurred in previous years on some other Atlas rockets that launched satellites. The problem was quickly resolved by turning the problematic valves off and on again. But the company has stricter flight rules for astronaut flights, prohibiting valve recycling when a crew is on board.

“So we followed the rules and procedures and as a result we were eliminated,” Bruno said at a press conference.

Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, acknowledged it was a difficult decision.

“We are taking it one step at a time and will launch when we are ready and fly when it is safe to do so,” Stich told reporters.

Just minutes after the countdown stopped, Boeing’s new astrovan was back on the launch pad to retrieve Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams from their pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Boeing has a lot at stake in the Starliner development program, which has become a saga marked by unpleasant surprises, delays and setbacks. If it passes this latest test mission, it will join the exclusive club of manufacturers of spacecraft capable of transporting humans.

The first unmanned Starliner test flight in 2019 failed to reach the space station and Boeing had to repeat the flight. Then the company faced problems with the parachute and flammable duct tape.

The aerospace giant must demonstrate the safety of its vehicle before launching regular missions to the International Space Station.

Dana Weigel, responsible for the ISS space program, said this is a “very important” challenge for NASA, as it means having a second vehicle, in addition to the NASA vehicle. SpaceXto transport US astronauts.

The success of this mission would also be more than welcome for Boeing, which is facing safety issues with its aircraft.

NASA hired Boeing and SpaceX a decade ago to transport astronauts to and from the space station after the end of the space shuttle program, paying billions of dollars to the private companies. SpaceX has been in the orbital taxi business since 2020./AP and AFP