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After a considerable number of delays that pushed its launch forward by almost a month, NASA and Boeing's inaugural crewed flight to the ISS failed to lift off from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida yet again earlier today. The Starliner CFT mission will fly NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the ISS on Boeing's Starliner spacecraft and the ULA's Atlas V rocket.
Before the launch attempt, the countdown proceeded nominally, and teams made good use of the extra time built into the process, which allowed the ULA to troubleshoot and resolve problems with ground equipment. However, three minutes fifty seconds before launch, teams called hold after the launch director had cleared the rocket for launch.
NASA, Boeing To Fly Starliner Another Day After Last Minute Hold
Ahead of liftoff, the countdown was proceeding smoothly until teams discovered problems with valves on the ground system. Since ULA, Boeing and NASA were ahead in the count, meaning that they had achieved milestones ahead of schedule, they had plenty of time to resolve the issue. The problem with another set of valves and the issue forced ULA to initially stop pressurizing the upper stage Centaur's liquid oxygen and hydrogen tanks.
Due to the extremely low temperature of the propellants, the tanks have to be pressurized to ensure adequate performance during launch. As part of the process to solve the problem, the ULA, whose Atlas V is one of the oldest rockets in American history, switched the valves to a backup set of sensors. This allowed the equipment to work as intended, and the upper stage was topped up with the propellants ahead of hatch closure.
Apart from the valve problem and the pre launch hold, the rest of the pre flight procedures did not demonstrate any problems. Starliner's latest launch attempt came after multiple delays and a detailed investigation that saw NASA complete several reviews before it was comfortable to let a crew fly on the ship. One major reason behind the delay was a leak in the ship's propellant system, and moments before liftoff, Boeing teams also resolved an issue with the suit fans. These fans are responsible for regulating the astronauts' body temperature.
Ahead of today's launch, NASA managers explained during a press talk that while this leak will still be present during the mission, it presents a low risk of hampering the mission. This leak could complicate the ship's return to Earth, and teams at NASA and Boeing analyzed the return procedures in detail before liftoff. Other pre flight checks involved analyzing the ship's parachute system to confirm it wouldn't face problems similar to those faced by Blue Origin's ship earlier.
The Starliner CFT mission is intended to certify the ship for human spaceflight. If successful, it will make the ship the second U.S. crewed spacecraft and relieve some of the pressure from SpaceX's Crew Dragon. The Dragon is the only spacecraft certified to fly humans to space from U.S. soil, and the two NASA astronauts are taking several items with them to space, including a urine recycling system to provide drinkable water on the ISS.
About the author: Ramish is a seasoned technology writer and editor with more than a decade of experience. He specializes in semiconductor fabrication and market analysis. With a background in finance and supply chain management - via his bachelors in Finance and a micromasters in supply chain management from MIT - Ramish combines financial rigor with deep industry insight to deliver accurate and authoritative coverage.
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