The Boeing Starliner just can’t seem to get off of the pad. The much-publicized second launch attempt of CFT-100 was scrubbed on June 1st when a computer detected an anomaly with less than four minutes left in the countdown. The mission represents Starliner’s first crewed flight test.
During today’s countdown, a computer automatically held the count when a problem was detected with a system known as the ground sequencer. By default, the hold mandated a “scrub” for the day, as Starliner had only an instantaneous launch window of 12:35 PM.
Following a 3PM news conference, NASA and Boeing announced another multi-day delay, pushing the new launch date to June 5th at the earliest. In an official release, NASA said:
ULA will assess the ground support equipment overnight, and NASA will provide an update June 2 on next steps for the flight. The next available launch opportunities are Wednesday, June 5, and Thursday, June 6.
Originally set to launch on May 6th, the Starliner had to be rolled back to United Launch Alliance’s Vertical Integration facility to replace a faulty valve in the second-stage Centaur booster. Boeing took the opportunity to spend several days studying a “minor” helium leak in the Starliner’s thruster system, which was never resolved. After determining that the leak was not a hazard to flight safety, the rocket was given a “go for launch.”
As with the first attempt, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams had completed the ceremonial “walkout”, said goodbye to their families and friends, and been strapped in the Starliner crew module, only to be forced to disembark due to the scrub.
If it appears that June 5th or 6th is a realistic launch date to engineers working on today’s problem, the astronauts will likely remain in quarantine at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. If the next attempt extends beyond those dates, it is probable that the crew will return to Johnson Space Center in Houston, where the astronauts are officed.
The beleaguered Boeing Starliner is a crew vehicle designed to carry astronauts to and from the ISS. This test flight is the first crewed flight of the Starliner, which has already flown twice uncrewed. The Starliner is akin to the SpaceX Crew Dragon in mission description, and similar in capabilities. Both vehicles were born of NASA’s Commercial Crew contracts which were awarded to Boeing and SpaceX in 2014. The SpaceX Crew Dragon is already flight-certified and has been taking astronauts to and from the ISS for four years. Meanwhile, Boeing continues to struggle to get the Starliner into space.
