Boeing’s highly anticipated inaugural crewed test flight of its Starliner space capsule, intended to transport astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station (ISS), has been delayed by a minimum of 24 hours. The launch countdown was halted just moments before liftoff on Saturday due to a technical issue with the ground launch sequencer, which failed to load into the correct operational configuration after proceeding into terminal count.
This delay represents the second interruption in the launch sequence, following a previous attempt on May 6 that was aborted due to an oxygen leak and a helium leak from the capsule’s propulsion system. The Starliner spacecraft, designed to accommodate a crew of no more than seven for missions to low-Earth orbit, aims to compete directly with SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, which has been NASA’s primary vehicle for sending ISS crew to orbit from US soil since 2020.
The mission, named Crew Flight Test, is a significant milestone in US space history, as it will only be the sixth crewed spacecraft launch in the country’s history. The Starliner crew capsule will separate from the Atlas V rocket and fire its own engines, spending over 24 hours traveling to the ISS before docking and carrying out various tests of its capabilities.
Boeing’s Starliner program has encountered several delays and over $1.5 billion in cost overruns, but the company remains optimistic about the mission’s success. The next potential launch window is scheduled for Sunday, with additional backup dates available on June 5 and June 6.