NASA orders yet another delay for Boeing's hard-luck Starliner
Source: CBS News
May 21, 2024 / 10:24 PM EDT
Plans to launch Boeing's oft-delayed Starliner spacecraft on its first crewed test flight Saturday were put on hold Tuesday night to give managers more time to evaluate a small helium leak in the ship's propulsion system. A new launch target was not announced.
The Starliner's crew — commander Barry "Butch" Wilmore and co-pilot Sunita Williams — remained at the Johnson Space Center in Houston awaiting word on when to head for the Kennedy Space Center to make final preparations for launch to the International Space Station.
They had hoped to blast off at 3:09 p.m. EDT Saturday, assuming NASA and Boeing managers agreed it would be safe to launch the spacecraft "as is," with a small, but persistent leak in the ship's propulsion pressurization system.
But multiple sources said earlier Tuesday that option was no longer on the table as additional meetings were planned to discuss the rationale for launching the spacecraft assuming the leak would not worsen in flight.
Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nasa-orders-another-delay-boeing-starliner/
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