Boeing announced Tuesday morning that the highly anticipated launch of its first crewed Starliner mission, initially set for this Friday, has been postponed. The new target date is no earlier than May 21, following the discovery of a helium leak in the Starliner’s service module.
This delay means enthusiasts will need to wait another week to witness the historic launch from Cape Canaveral, which will carry NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station (ISS). The issue arose after a valve replacement on ULA’s Centaur upper stage, shifting the focus to a helium leak in one of the service module's reaction control thrusters. Helium, a non-toxic and non-flammable gas, is vital in spaceflight operations for maintaining pressurization and purging systems.
Currently, teams are working on testing and developing solutions to address the leak. The primary goal is to resolve the issue without having to destack the Starliner spacecraft from its rocket, as such an action would result in further delays. Any additional postponement could potentially impact Boeing's schedule to dock with the ISS.
Adding to the urgency, SpaceX is scheduled to launch another cargo resupply mission sometime in June, which would occupy the spare International Docking Adapter (IDA) port on the ISS that Starliner requires. Thus, timely resolution of the leak is critical to avoid a significant scheduling conflict.
The Starliner program, part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, aims to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the ISS. The forthcoming crewed mission represents a pivotal milestone in the partnership between NASA, Boeing, and ULA, and its success is eagerly anticipated by the spaceflight community.
