After fixing the issue that caused the launch on 7 May to be scrubbed, engineers identified an additional leak in the support module’s helium tank. The Boing Starliner Crewed Flight to the International Space Station is now slotted for 25 May.
NASA and Boeing are now looking to launch the first Crewed Boeing Starliner flight to ISS on 25 May. After fixing the issue that caused the scrub of the launch on 7 May, engineers identified an additional leak in the helium tank of the support module. The Boing Starliner Crewed Flight to the International Space Station is now slotted for 25 May. Such delays are common for developmental hardware.
NASA, Boeing, and the United Launch Alliance (ULA) have announced that the launch of the Boeing Crew Flight Test is scheduled for 25 May 2024. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will be aboard the Starliner.
The testing also indicated that the rest of the thruster system is effectively sealed across the entire service module. Boeing teams are working to develop the operational procedures to ensure that the system retains sufficient performance capability and appropriate redundancy during the flight. NASA’s Commercial Crew Programme and the International Space Station Programme will review the data and procedures over the next few days before making a final determination about proceeding with the flight countdown.
The ULA and the Starliner are at the Vertical Integration Facility at the Space Launch Complex-41, on the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams is the pilot of the first Boeing Starliner crewed flight to the International Space Station. Butch Wilmore is the commander of the mission. Both of these experienced astronauts have provided valuable feedback, guiding the development of the crew module.
