Boeing & NASA’s First Astronaut Launch Is Delayed Once Again

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NASA and Boeing's crewed Starliner launch, CFT, which was due for later this week, has suffered from another delay, this time from an anomaly that teams discovered on the Starliner spacecraft. The rocket was due to lift off earlier this month amidst much fanfare by NASA, ULA and Boeing as it marked the first time the trio have worked together for a crewed space mission.

However, Starliner's manufacturer Boeing shared earlier today that the ship will now launch no earlier than on May 21st due to a fault with a tiny component that works with its engines.

Related Story Boeing’s Maiden Crewed Flight Scrubbed Hours Before Launch

Boeing Delays Starliner Launch Due To Propellant Leak On Spacecraft

Ahead of the Starliner's first launch attempt earlier this month, teams at NASA, ULA, and Boeing were quite optimistic about the flight. Boeing had spent weeks fueling the spacecraft for its maiden crewed launch, after fixing multiple issues that had led to the scrubs of earlier launches.

However, the launch scrub itself came after ULA decided to remove the two NASA astronauts from the ship because of a faulty valve. Later in the day, the firm explained that its launch countdown and monitoring system required the crew to be outside the spaceship in case a valve had to be tested.

This valve led to the scrub and then a delay after it as ULA decided to replace it. Following the replacement, Starliner was due to launch later this week, but Boeing's fresh announcement has now set the launch date to May 21st.

The delay means that NASA, Boeing, and ULA all have to wait for Starliner's first crewed spaceflight. For Boeing and ULA, this is their first crewed mission, and for NASA, it is the first time since the Shuttle era that the space agency is sending astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) on crewed and launch vehicles operated by