Boeing Starliner’s crew flight test delayed due to a valve problem

NASA will attempt to send a pair of astronauts to space aboard Boeing’s Starliner aircraft for the first time soon, but not today. As the the astronauts settled into place, officials scrubbed Monday night’s planned launch attempt at around 8:30PM ET, due to “a faulty oxygen relief valve observation” on the ULA Atlas V rocket’s Centaur second stage. On Tuesday, officials announced that the attached rocket and spacecraft will be rolled back to the Vertical Integration Facility to replace the valve and run more tests before attempting another launch.

They also said that launch attempt won’t happen until at least Friday, May 17th.

Starliner has faced several delays over the years, with its first uncrewed test flight in 2019 ending in failure before it successfully docked at the International Space Station in 2022. While Starliner’s first crewed flight was supposed to take place last May, NASA delayed the launch due to technical issues.

The launch was scheduled to take place at 10:34PM ET from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, with a livestream available on NASA’s YouTube channel.

The United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket will propel the Starliner aircraft to space, where it will stay at the ISS for one week. While on board, flight commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams will test the Starliner’s capabilities, including launching, docking, and its eventual return to Earth.

Boeing built the Starliner as part of its $4.2 billion contract with NASA, which encourages the development of new spacecraft from private companies through the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.

If all goes well during this flight, NASA will certify Starliner, allowing it to ferry NASA astronauts between Earth and the ISS. This could make the Starliner a new rival for SpaceX, which has been carrying NASA astronauts to space since 2020.

In addition to airing the flight on its YouTube channel, you can also watch it from NASA’s website, its apps, or on its streaming service, NASA Plus.

Update May 7th: Added details about valve replacement and delay.