The launch of Boeing’s Starliner space capsule was canceled on Saturday just before it was supposed to take off.
Starliner Launch Postponed Again
With just 3 minutes and 50 seconds left before launch, the rocket’s computer stopped everything. The spaceship has to blast off at exactly the right time to catch up with the space station. So, the mission will have to wait for at least another day before it can take off.
NASA had to cancel the launch because the computer that controls the countdown didn’t load correctly. They’re figuring out why it happened.
A spaceship was supposed to take two NASA astronauts from Florida to the International Space Station. It was going to be a 25-hour trip, and it was the first time this particular spaceship, which was made by a company, was going to carry people.
NASA hasn’t said yet if they’ll try to launch on Sunday.
After the Space Shuttle stopped flying in 2011, NASA teamed up with Boeing and SpaceX, two private companies, to give rides to astronauts going to the space station. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were going to be the first to fly on Starliner, a new spacecraft made by Boeing. They were going to test it out before it started regular trips for NASA.
Saturday’s cancellation happened about a month later than when the Starliner was first supposed to go to the station. But even that original launch date was way overdue, by years.
Just like when your suitcase sometimes doesn’t make it to your destination on a plane trip, NASA faced a similar problem with the astronauts’ belongings. The reason? The space station’s system for recycling urine broke down, so NASA had to send up a new pump to fix it.
“We took off two suitcases for the crew, they have clothes in them,” explained Dana Weigel, who manages NASA’s International Space Station Program, at a press conference on Friday.
Weigel mentioned that there are extra clothes and things like toothbrushes and soap on the space station that the crew can use while they’re there.
Here’s more about the canceled launch.
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First Manned Flight of Starliner Postponed
In 2014, NASA paid Boeing $4.2 billion to make Starliner. Starliner is like a space taxi that takes astronauts to the International Space Station for regular trips.
The Starliner program, run by Boeing, is now way behind schedule and has cost much more money than expected. Boeing says they’ve lost over $1 billion because of this.
NASA gave SpaceX $2.6 billion to make their Dragon capsule. This spaceship took astronauts to the station after testing in 2020.
Starliner Faces Technical Issues
NASA gave SpaceX $2.6 billion to make their Dragon capsule. This spaceship took astronauts to the station after testing in 2020.
In 2019, the Starliner didn’t make it to the I.S.S. on its first try. The reason? A clock on board was set wrong, which made a computer fire the engines too soon. But in 2022, on its second try, it did reach the I.S.S., even though some thrusters didn’t work like they should have.
Boeing postponed Starliner’s first crewed flight last year because they found out that the tape used on lots of wiring could catch fire. Also, the three parachutes were connected with lines that seemed weaker than they should be.
The rocket launch planned for May 6 was canceled because a valve on the Starliner rocket got stuck. They fixed the valve, but then found a small leak in one of the Starliner’s thrusters.
The leak might be because of a bad seal, but the engineers aren’t completely certain. However, they’ve studied it for weeks and think that even with the leak, it’s safe for Starliner to fly.
What’s Next for the Starliner
If Starliner can launch without any problems, it will lead to more Starliner flights. This means NASA will have two different private spaceships that can take astronauts to the space station all by themselves.
Wilmore and Williams were going to check important parts of the Starliner spaceship while it connects with the space station. They wanted to make sure things like air and talking with people on Earth were working well. Even though the spaceship can mostly fly itself, they wanted to see how well they could control it by hand as it got closer to the space station.
The crew planned to spend a week on the space station. They were supposed to land in Willcox, Arizona, around June 10 using parachutes, ending a 10-day mission. NASA and Boeing teams would review the flight data before saying the vehicle was ready for regular trips. NASA wants astronauts to fly with both Boeing and SpaceX, going to the ISS every six months.
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