Boeing Starliner launch, carrying Indian-origin Sunita Williams, called off due to rocket glitch

A new spacecraft, Boeing Starliner, scheduled for its first crewed launch for International Space Station on Tuesday with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronauts Butch Wilmore and Indian-origin Sunita Williams, was postponed due to a technical glitch encountered by its rocket, Atlas V.

“United Launch Alliance launch director Tom Heter III has made the decision to the launch team that launch operations will not continue tonight for Atlas V and Starliner,” an official statement said.

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What is Boeing Starliner launch mission?

Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams were poised to become the first crew aboard Boeing's Starliner as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Programme. Their mission entailed docking with the at the space station on Wednesday.

After a week the crew capsule's was planned for descent, assisted by parachutes and airbags, in the southwestern United States.

Upon the conclusion of the flight test, NASA will start the final steps to certify Starliner and its systems for regular human spaceflight launches.

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What went wrong?

Starliner launch has been postponed as teams assess an oxygen relief valve on the Centaur Stage of the Atlas V rocket. The astronauts have left the Starliner spacecraft and will go back to their crew quarters.

“In a situation like this, if we see any data signature is not something that we have seen before, then we are just simply not willing to take any chances with what is our most precious payload,” said Dillon Rice, an engineer from United Launch Alliance.

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Boeing's streak of failure continues

NASA enlisted Boeing and SpaceX ten years ago to transport astronauts to and from the space station post the shuttle programme's closure, investing billions in the private enterprises. SpaceX has been operating in the orbital taxi sphere since 2020.

However, Boeing faced setbacks with its Starliner spacecraft. Its first unmanned test flight in 2019 failed to reach the space station, prompting Boeing to conduct another trial. The company also grappled with parachute problems and issues related to flammable tape.

(Inputs from AP)