Launch of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft canceled — again.

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft failed to launch as scheduled on Saturday, marking the second failed launch carrying a test pilot in the past month.
NASA Commander Barry “Batch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams exited the spacecraft after the problem surfaced with under four minutes remaining in the countdown. Starliner’s first crewed test flight was scheduled to lift off around 12:25 pm ET from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The ground-based launch computer, which took over control of the rocket’s launch countdown in the final minutes, automatically ordered the abort, but the reason for the cancellation was not immediately clear. The next launch is scheduled for 12:03 pm ET on Sunday. It is not yet clear whether the team will be able to reset in time for that, but further launch times have been set for Wednesday and Thursday.
“Obviously, it’s disappointing,” Boeing commentator Lauren Brenneke said, “but it’s part of the job and our ultimate goal is just to keep our precious cargo, Butch and Suni, safe.”
The long and troubled history of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft
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NASA has expected the flight to happen for several years, but Boeing has struggled to resolve a series of issues with the spacecraft, with the team cancelling a previous launch on May 4 due to concerns about the rocket’s oxygen release valve.
While investigating the issue, engineers found a small helium leak in Starliner’s service module. The team determined it was just a small hole in a rubber seal and would not affect spaceflight. If the leak somehow got worse, it could be dealt with in space, flight controllers said.
U.S. astronauts Barry “Batch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams wave to the crowd before boarding the Boeing Starliner spacecraft Calypso on June 1, 2024.
Credit: NASA / Joel Kowski
A successful flight of the spacecraft, which Williams has named Calypso, could help secure a second commercial vehicle to transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station. Elon MuskSpaceX Crew Dragon It completed the same test in 2019 and has since sent at least 50 people to the laboratory, which is in orbit 250 miles above Earth.
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Without its own space shuttle service, NASA had relied on Russian rockets to send astronauts into space since 2011. That period ended in 2020 when SpaceX took over that responsibility, but contrary to original plans, NASA has been operating without a backup. The United States $86 million For every ride.

A Starliner test pilot lowers his helmet visor during the countdown before launch on June 1, 2024.
Credit: NASA / Youtube screenshot
If certified, Starliner missions would be able to carry up to four astronauts to the space station at one time, increasing the amount of research that can be done in the orbital lab.
“This will be a game changer for us,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Meloy. “The station has been in operation for over 20 years, and we’ve conducted thousands of experiments, but in some cases we have limitations on the amount of time our crew can spend on board. Having a crew of four instead of three will literally double the amount of time our astronauts can spend on science.”
Despite the challenges Starliner has faced, Wilmore and Williams say they are unfazed by the ship’s accidents and failures.

Boeing’s unmanned spacecraft Starliner successfully arrived at the International Space Station on May 20, 2022.
Credit: Samantha Cristoforetti / NASA
“If we could go back three years and talk about the capabilities of the spacecraft, what the vision was then, and where it is now after all these discoveries and fixing all the issues that were found, that’s a real breakthrough,” Wilmore told Mashable during a press conference earlier this month.
Williams added that he had spoken with his family about the concerning news so far.
“I think they’re happy and proud that we were part of the process of sorting all of this out,” she said.