New Delhi, May 7: Boeing announced on Tuesday that the highly anticipated launch of the Starliner's first crewed mission has been rescheduled for May 10 after being scrubbed just two hours before liftoff. The planned liftoff, originally set for 10:34 pm ET on May 7, was halted due to a valve issue detected on the upper stage of the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.
In a statement, Boeing revealed that the decision to postpone the launch was made after launch control teams observed abnormal behavior from the pressure regulation valve in the liquid oxygen tank of the Centaur upper stage.
Engineers from Boeing, NASA, and United Launch Alliance are currently analyzing the data to identify the root cause of the issue and determine necessary corrective actions. The company emphasized the importance of thorough evaluation, with engineering teams dedicating Tuesday, May 7, to assessing the data.
The upcoming mission, which marks the inaugural crewed flight of the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft, aims to transport NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams to the International Space Station.
