The long-awaited launch of the new Starliner spacecraft, scheduled for May 25, has been postponed again. It is not yet known when Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore are supposed to be in space. Engineers continue to deal with technical problems.
Starliner launch canceled again
The launch of the new CST-100 Starliner spacecraft, scheduled for Saturday, May 25, will not take place. Therefore, astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore will not be able to be on the International Space Station early next week. This information was reported by NASA experts on the night of May 21-22.
The specific reason for the new delay is not reported. However, it is known that in recent weeks engineers have been working on a liquid helium supply system. According to NASA representatives, they have been dealing with the system for several days, but they need additional gas.
Helium is a non-flammable gas, so no one expects an explosion to occur due to a malfunction. However, it is used for in-orbit maneuvers on the Starliner, and a certain amount of pressure is required for reliable operation. These technical problems can lead to the disruption of the entire flight plan.
Problems with the mission
The worst thing for NASA and Boeing in this whole story is that it remains unknown when the Starliner is supposed to fly into space now. It has already been there twice, but without a crew. Everyone has been waiting for the first manned launch for many months. A successful mission should not only expand the capabilities of the United States in transporting astronauts to the ISS, but also help the aircraft manufacturing giant cope with internal problems.
Back on May 6, everyone was sure that Williams and Wilmore would be in space at night. However, just two hours later, a problem with one of the valves forced the preparation to stop. There were hopes that this would not delay the mission for more than a day.
However, the flight was postponed first to May 10, then to the 17th, then to the 21st. And finally, the last date was named May 25th. When the spacecraft will fly, it is not clear at all. And this is bad for all concerned.
All this time, Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore are in pre-launch quarantine. So far, it has not been reported that they will leave it. It seems that NASA remains hopeful of carrying out the long-awaited launch in the near future.
According to www.space.com
