Source: AFP
Boeing will hope the third time is a charm on Wednesday as it once again tries to launch astronauts in a Starliner capsule bound for the International Space Station.
Liftoff is targeted at 10:52 AM. (1452 GMT) from the Cape Canaveral Space Station in Florida, for a roughly one-week stay at the orbiting laboratory.
The latest attempt, on Saturday, was dramatically thwarted with less than four minutes remaining in the countdown as the launch computer on the ground went into automatic standby.
The problem was later traced to a faulty power supply connected to the computer, with the malfunctioning module replaced.
And a cloudy valve on the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket derailed an earlier attempt on May 6, just hours before liftoff.
In both cases, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sonny Williams were strapped in and ready to leave, only to be forced back into strict quarantine in their quarters.
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The Starliner program has already been plagued by years of safety fears and delays, and a successful mission would provide Boeing with much-needed relief from heightened safety concerns surrounding its passenger jets.
Meanwhile, NASA is trying to certify Boeing as a second commercial carrier to carry crews to the ISS – something Elon Musk’s SpaceX has already been doing for the US space agency for four years.
Embarrassing setbacks
Both companies received multibillion-dollar contracts in 2014 to develop their crew capsules, after the end of the Space Shuttle program left the US temporarily dependent on Russian rockets for rides.
Boeing, with its 100-year history, was greatly favored, but its program lagged far behind.
The setbacks ranged from a software bug that put the spacecraft into a bad orbit on its first uncrewed test, to the discovery that the cabin filled with flammable electrical tape after the second.
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While teams were working to replace the faulty rocket valve that delayed the previous launch attempt, a small helium leak detected in one of the Starliner’s thrusters came to light.
Instead of replacing the seal, which would have required the spacecraft to be taken apart at its factory, NASA and Boeing officials said it is safe enough to fly as is.
When they fly, Wilmore and Williams will be tasked with putting the Starliner through its paces, including manually controlling the spacecraft on its way to the ISS.
During their time on the research platform, the crew will conduct more tests, including simulating whether the ship can be used as a safe haven in the event of problems with the orbital outpost.
After release, the Starliner will re-enter the atmosphere and perform a parachute and airbag landing in the western United States.
Source: AFP