NASA announced Friday that the first crewed launch of Boeing Starliner to the International Space Station has been postponed again owing to a technical issue.
The launch in Florida was originally scheduled for Tuesday, but NASA has changed the date to May 25 to allow teams to further analyze a helium leak associated with the rocket’s service module, which sits on top.
Earlier this month, a Starliner launch was pushed back just hours before lift-off, with the astronauts already strapped in, due to a separate technical issue.
NASA Stated, “The additional time allows teams to further assess the helium leak”.
Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, the two astronauts, are currently in Houston, Texas awaiting the mission’s readiness.
It is another setback in the highly anticipated mission, which has been delayed for years, and comes at a challenging time for Boeing, as safety concerns surround the century-old aerospace titan’s commercial aviation arm.
NASA is depending on Starliner’s success to achieve its objective of certifying a second commercial vehicle to transport crews to the International Space Station.
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