Boeing's Starliner launch with Sunita Williams onboard called off

The first human crewed flight of Boeings Starliner spacecraft carrying Indianorgin Sunita Williams was cancelled minutes before it could take off from the Kennedy Space CentreAccording to US space agency NASA the delay which happened at 3 minutes and 50 seconds before liftoff was called by an automated computer system which takes over the flight sequence in the final minutes of the countdownTeams have scrubbed todays launch attempt for BoeingSpaces Starliner Crew Flight Test due to an automatic hold of the ground launch sequencer NASA said in its broadcast on SaturdayThe ground launch sequencer is the computer that tells the rocket to launchThe agency has scheduled a backup launch attempt for SundayIf the United Launch Alliance ULA which operates the Atlas V rocket decides the issue that plagued Saturdays attempt has been resolved the launch would take place at 1203 pm ET 933 pm Indian Standard Time NASA has also additional launch opportunities scheduled for Wednesday and ThursdayAddressing a press conference in Cape Canaveral Mark Nappi vice president and program manager for the Commercial Crew Program at Boeing saidWhen Starliner shifted from ground power to internal power there was a slight increase in voltage that turned off the cabin fans which keep the astronauts cool as they sit in their spacesuits in the capsule They were able to get them turned on again quickly Nappi said as per CNNThe Boeing official said that Tomorrow or whenever we try our next our next launch attempt well have that figured out adding This is the business that were in Everythings got to work perfectlyAlthough Starliner didnt launch as planned we got really close today said Steve Stich manager of NASAs Commercial Crew Program addressing the press conferenceTory Bruno president and CEO of United Launch Alliance which built the Atlas 5 rocket Starliner sits atop saidIf the issue can be fixed tonight Starliner could launch Sunday at 1203 pm ET If not the next launch attempts are June 5 and June 6The innagural test flight of the Starliner will send NASA astronauts Sunita Suni Willams and Barry Butch Wilmore to the International Space Station where they will be stationed for about a week to test out how the spacecraft operates with humans on board The ISS presently has seven astronauts and cosmonauts already on boardThe mission dubbed the Crew Flight Test will be a stepping stone to get NASA clearance deeming Boeings spacecraft ready for regular operationsThe launch is part of NASAs commercial crew programme which selected Boeing and SpaceX to develop spacecraft to carry astronauts to the International Space Station after NASA retired its Space Shuttle Program in the year 2011 Boeing received over USD 4 billion in US federal funds to develop the Starliner while SpaceX received about USD 26 billionWhile the Elon Muskowned SpaceX companys Crew Dragon has performed 12 crewed missions to the ISS since its first launch on May 30 2020 Boeings Starliner has been faced with multiple setbacksIts first flight mission in December 2019 the Starliner with no crew on board was launched into space but ran into problems Similarly its second attempt in 2021 also without crew also failed before completing a successful uncrewed test flight in May 2022Starliner was only about two hours from its first crewed launch attempt on May 6 when engineers identified an issue with a valve on the second stage or upper portion of the Atlas V rocket The entire stack including the rocket and spacecraft was rolled back from the launchpad for testing and repairs CNN reportedThen mission teams reported a small helium leak within the spacecraft service module The space agency determined the leak did not pose a risk to the flightCNN explained that While evaluating the helium issue over the past two weeks engineers also spotted a design vulnerability in the propulsion system essentially identifying a remote scenario in which certain thrusters might fail as the vehicle leaves Earths orbit without a backup method of getting home safelyWilliams who has traveled to space twice before once on a NASA space shuttle in 2006 and then on a Russian Soyuz capsule in 2012 in an earlier Shes logged 322 total days in spaceMeanwhile NASA said that astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore exited their spacecraft and were transported back to their quarters at the Kennedy Space Centres Neil A Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building remaining in quarantine as they await Starliners next launch attemptThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever