Starliner’s historic crewed mission on hold ‘indefinitely’ after launch delays
Video above: Boeing Starliner launch scrubbed hours before liftoff
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Already years late, Boeing’s historic crewed Starliner launch was delayed once again on Tuesday.
The anticipated May 6 launch would have been the first time the vehicle carried humans to space. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were set to be on board after two successful unmanned launches.
The launch date was pushed back multiple times due to mechanical issues until Boeing and United Launch Alliance, whose Atlas V rocket would have sent Starliner into space, determined that the mission would be put on hold indefinitely.
“The team has been in meetings for two consecutive days, assessing flight rationale, system performance, and redundancy. There is still forward work in these areas, and the next possible launch opportunity is still being discussed,” officials said in a statement to NBC affiliate WESH.
The manned mission is the next step in making Boeing’s vehicle a viable, cost-effective alternative to SpaceX’s commercial spacecraft. Boeing received $4.2 billion from NASA for their project, compared with $2.6 billion contributed to SpaceX.
Various components of Starliner’s subsystems and flight capabilities must be tested before NASA can certify the vehicle for additional missions.
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