(Washington) Another postponement of the first crewed spaceflight of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft: liftoff is now scheduled for May 25, a few days later than scheduled, in order to “further evaluate” a “small leak” on the spacecraft. NASA announced Friday.
The launch of this mission to the International Space Station (ISS), crucial for Boeing and awaited for years, was canceled at the last minute last week, while the two astronauts making up the crew were already installed on board.
The cause was then an identified problem with the missile's valve, which has since been resolved. But in the meantime, a “small helium leak” was discovered in the ship's service module itself, located above the rocket.
Until now, it was scheduled to attempt another lift-off in Florida on Tuesday, May 21, but it is now aiming for May 25 at the earliest, according to NASA, which ordered this vehicle from Boeing ten years ago to transport its astronauts to the International Space Station.
“This additional time allows teams to continue evaluating” the leak, NASA wrote in a press release.
Meanwhile, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sonny Williams have returned to Houston, Texas, where they are waiting.
This new postponement comes at a time when the Starliner development program has witnessed a series of unpleasant surprises, leading to years of delays.
Boeing is playing a big role in this test mission, allowing it to prove its ship is safe before launching regular missions to the International Space Station — four years behind SpaceX, which already operates as NASA's space taxi.
The US space agency wants to have a second vehicle to better manage emergencies or potential problems on one of the capsules.
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