The launch was automatically halted mere minutes before liftoff due to a computer abort system, marking another indefinite delay for the project.
Boeing’s Starliner space capsule was set for its inaugural test flight with NASA astronauts, including Indian-origin Sunita Williams, on board. However, the launch was automatically halted mere minutes before liftoff due to a computer abort system, marking another indefinite delay for the project.
The countdown to launch had reached the final stages when the automatic abort was triggered by the ground system computer responsible for coordinating the last moments before liftoff. With just three minutes and 50 seconds left on the clock, the system issued a command that stopped the launch sequence. According to officials, the Starliner capsule itself appeared to be in good condition.
History Of Challenges
This latest postponement is part of a series of last-minute technical issues that teams had been working through. Initially, NASA and Boeing planned for a potential launch window today. However, NASA decided against it, stating that additional time was needed to assess the issue thoroughly. The next available windows are June 5 and June 6.
“We got really close today,” said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s commercial crew program, as quoted by news agency Reuters. “I know it’s a little disappointing, we were all excited. This is kind of the way spaceflight is.”
Tory Bruno, CEO of United Launch Alliance (ULA), the joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin that owns the Atlas V rocket, suggested that the issue could be a hardware malfunction or a network communication problem between the three computers managing the automated launch systems.