In a last-minute decision, NASA called off the highly anticipated first crewed launch of Boeing’s Starliner flight. The countdown was halted with less than 4 minutes remaining before liftoff. The culprit? A computer glitch in the final stages of the countdown process.
The trouble began when engineers detected an issue with a valve on the second stage of the Atlas V rocket. This valve, part of the upper portion of the rocket, was responsible for regulating the flow of propellant. The entire stack, including the rocket and the Starliner spacecraft, was rolled back from the launchpad for thorough testing and repairs.
But that wasn’t the only challenge. Mission teams also discovered a small helium leak within the spacecraft service module. The leak was traced to a flange on a single reaction control system thruster. Helium is used in these thrusters to allow precise adjustments during flight. Fortunately, NASA determined that the leak did not pose a risk to the crewed mission.
As if that weren’t enough, engineers identified a “design vulnerability” in the propulsion system. Essentially, they found a remote scenario where certain thrusters might fail as the vehicle leaves Earth’s orbit. Without a backup method of returning safely, this was a critical concern. To address this, NASA and Boeing collaborated with the thruster vendor to create a backup plan for the deorbit burn.
“We have restored that redundancy for the backup capability in a very remote set of failures for the direct burn,” explained NASA spokesperson Jim Stich during a news conference on May 24.
Additionally, the mission teams scrutinized Starliner’s parachutes. After a recent parachute failure on Blue Origin’s suborbital crewed flight, they wanted to ensure Starliner’s safety. Fortunately, the team deemed the parachutes “good to fly” after assessing their components.
Weather conditions were favorable for launch, with a 90% chance of clear skies. The only potential concerns were ground winds and cumulus clouds. The latter could trigger an abort after launch, affecting the parachute-assisted landing the capsule would attempt.
While the delay disappointed space enthusiasts, safety remains the top priority. NASA and Boeing are committed to addressing these issues and ensuring a successful crewed mission in the near future. Stay tuned for updates as they work to resolve the glitches and prepare for another launch attempt.
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