Boeing forced to scrub first crewed Starliner launch to the space station
The launch attempt was called off roughly two hours ahead of the planned liftoff.
NASA and Boeing were forced to stand down from an attempted launch to the International Space Station on Monday because of a last-minute issue that cropped up with a valve on the spacecraft’s rocket.
Boeing’s Starliner capsule had been scheduled to lift off at 10:34 p.m. ET from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on its first crewed test flight. NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams were on board the capsule and strapped into their seats when the launch attempt was called off, roughly two hours ahead of the planned liftoff.
A new launch date has not yet been announced.
Mission controllers declared a launch “scrub” after an anomaly was detected on an oxygen valve on United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket, which the Starliner capsule was to ride into orbit.
ULA is 50% owned by Boeing. Therefore there's only a 50% chance you'll die!
"Product management was never my strong suit." Bud Askins, Senior Junior Vice President of
Vault-TecBoeing, maybe.Boeing’s share in the company came from the Delta rocket though, which was retired last month. (FWIW, Delta was originally a Douglas design, going back to the late 50’s, but Boeing got it through mergers.)