Starliner launch try scrubbed – SpaceNews

Up to date 1:50 p.m. Jap.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — A final-minute drawback scrubbed the Atlas 5 launch of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner on its first crewed flight June 1.

A floor pc halted the countdown 3 minutes and 50 seconds earlier than the scheduled 12:25 p.m. Jap launch of the Crew Flight Take a look at (CFT) mission with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on board. Controllers didn’t instantly disclose what triggered the maintain within the countdown past a quick assertion from NASA that the “pc floor launch sequencer not loading into the proper operational configuration after continuing into terminal depend.”

“The system was unsuccessful in verifying the sequencer’s needed redundancy,” NASA mentioned in an announcement about 90 minutes after the scrub.

As a result of Starliner has an instantaneous launch window, the maintain scrubbed the launch try. There are backup launch alternatives June 2, 5 and 6.

NASA, Boeing and United Launch Alliance labored via minor points in the course of the countdown. About two hours earlier than the scheduled liftoff, launch controllers reported an issue with valves that management the circulation of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen into the Centaur higher stage to prime off its tanks. Engineers concluded that defective sensors triggered the valves to shut and switched to a backup set of sensors, which allowed topping to renew.

Lower than 20 minutes earlier than liftoff, spacecraft controllers famous an issue with followers that flow into air within the strain fits Wilmore and Williams have been carrying. The followers have been working once more a couple of minutes later.

The helium leak discovered after the earlier scrubbed launch try Might 6 was not a problem with this launch try. Controllers reported that the leak price was acceptable and, in reality, had appeared to lower.

It’s unclear how lengthy this problem night time delay the launch, though controllers have been initially working to arrange for a June 2 launch.

A slip past June 6 might result in a considerably longer delay. Steve Stich, NASA industrial crew program supervisor, mentioned at a Might 31 prelaunch briefing that ULA would wish time to exchange batteries within the rocket if the automobile doesn’t launch by June 6. Gary Wentz, vice chairman of presidency and industrial packages at ULA, mentioned that battery substitute work would take about 10 days.

NASA officers mentioned earlier this yr that they wanted to finish the certification of Starliner by November or December in order that the primary operational mission, Starliner-1, can launch in early 2025 as presently deliberate. On the prelaunch briefing Might 31, Stich declined to say if that schedule will maintain even with the delay in launching CFT.

“That shall be one thing that we’ll work on after the flight,” he mentioned of certification. “The trail to Starliner-1 clearly is thru Crew Flight Take a look at. That’s crucial factor we’ve in the direction of certification.”

Mark Nappi, Boeing vice chairman and industrial crew program supervisor, mentioned 80% of the certification plan is already in place and is scheduled to be performed by November, however the the rest depends upon what occurs in the course of the CFT mission, together with what in-flight anomalies happen that should be resolved.

“The longer it takes to fly CFT, the shorter that interval turns into for us to evaluation that knowledge,” he mentioned. “Getting the certification evaluation performed as quickly as we will is vital no matter once we fly.”

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