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After evaluating data from the Starliner spacecraft, NASA has set a new tentative launch date for the ship. This time around, Strainer's launch might coincide with the launch of SpaceX's Starship rocket in Texas. Local officials in Cameron County, Texas, shared a set of potential launch dates earlier this week to inform residents about potential road closures that might affect their commute.
The first Starship attempt, according to the notice, could take place on June 1st - the same day on which NASA and Boeing will attempt to send astronauts Butch Willmore and Sunita Williams to the International Space Station (ISS). This flight will be part of Boeing's much overdue crewed flight test (CFT) mission.
NASA Committed To Launching Starliner Before H1 2024 Is Over - Will Conduct Additional Review To Finalize Launch
The Starliner mission is part of NASA's efforts to build redundancy into its U.S.-based ISS launch capabilities. Currently, only SpaceX's Crew Dragon can take astronauts to low Earth orbit (LEO) from America, and NASA regularly relies on Russia's Soyuz to send an additional astronaut to space along with crews of two to four on SpaceX's spaceship.
After a leak in the Starliner's propulsion system led to earlier launch cancellations, NASA said in a mailed statement today that it will take its time to run additional assessments. According to the agency, the current leak is stable, and teams will now take a comprehensive look at how the leak affects the Starliner's propulsion system and return scenarios.
These reviews are checkpoints in the decision making process behind launching a spacecraft. They allow teams from NASA and Boeing to sift through the ship's design and through their work to determine whether a launch is possible.
NASA's lead for the CCP, Steve Stich, stressed that NASA will only launch Starliner after it shares progress made on the ship since its scrub with the entire community during the upcoming review. A successful CFT test is essential for Boeing to start recovering some of the costs outlay on the spacecraft's development through regular ISS flights. These flights will require NASA to certify the ship safe for human spaceflight, and Stich's comments added that NASA has kept the certification in mind throughout its work on Starliner.
Praising NASA and Boeing for their work over the past two weeks for the work done to test Starlier, Stich stated that "[i]t has been important that we take our time to understand all the complexities of each issue including the redundant capabilities of the Starliner propulsion system and any implications to our Interim Human Rating Certification." He went on to share that NASA will only launch the two astronauts "after the entire community has reviewed the teams progress and flight rationale at the upcoming Delta Agency Flight Test Readiness Review.”
Starliner's new tentative launch also runs on the day Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino, Jr. ordered the close of Boca Chica Beach and State Highway 4. NASA will share additional updates for the Starliner flight later this week, with the crew still quarantined ahead of their launch attempt and training for the mission.
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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