Boeing’s highly anticipated first crewed launch of its Starliner spacecraft was abruptly halted mere minutes before liftoff on June 1, pushing the mission back to no earlier than June 5. The automatic abort was triggered by the ground launch sequencer (GLS) computer just 3 minutes and 50 seconds before the scheduled launch, leaving the exact cause unclear. The incident occurred when Boeing’s Starliner together with its Atlas V rocket was to ferry NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida to the International Space Station (ISS) at 12:25 p.m. EDT (1625 GMT). Despite disappointment, Steve Stich, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager, held onto his resolve and underscored safety as a top priority for the situation along with the need for a comprehensive investigation.
There was a decision made by NASA, Boeing, and United Launch Alliance (ULA). They abandoned the possibility of using a window on June 2nd to conduct a detailed examination of the issue. The delay was detailed in a NASA update where it pointed out that the issue is about a likely bad computer card that controls ground systems at Space Launch Complex-41. Tory Bruno, who is the CEO of ULA, had this to say concerning troubleshooting: it would necessitate the removal of fuel from the rocket before engineers can take it apart and ensure an appropriate safe distance for personnel.
While the team aims to resolve the issue swiftly, backup launch dates on June 5 and June 6 have been identified. If more time is needed, a 10-day stand-down might be necessary for vehicle battery replacements.
A successful launch on June 5 would occur at 10:52 a.m. EDT (1452 GMT), with a NASA webcast starting four hours earlier. The Starliner mission, under a $4.2 billion contract with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, has faced multiple delays over recent years, including a scrubbed launch on May 6 due to issues with the Atlas Centaur upper stage valves. Despite resolving various pre-launch glitches, the mission now awaits another attempt to make its historic crewed flight.