Sunita Williams strapped in seat when Starliner mission was called off

First crewed flight of Boeing's Starliner spaceship was to depart from the Kennedy Space Centre when launch was cancelled due to an issue with an oxygen relief valve

A technical glitch deferred the launch of Boeing Starliner, which was scheduled to carry astronaut Sunita Williams to space for her third mission.

The first crewed flight of Boeing's Starliner spaceship was slated to depart from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida's Cape Canaveral at 8:04 am (IST). However, just 90 minutes before the liftoff, the launch of the Atlas V rocket was cancelled due to an issue with an oxygen relief valve. Astronauts Williams and Barry Wilmore were scheduled to pilot the Starliner to the International Space Station (ISS).

Both astronauts were securely strapped in their seats, poised for liftoff when the decision to "scrub" the launch was made, allowing engineers time to check abnormal readings from an oxygen relief valve on the rocket's second stage, the NDTV reported.
 

Nasa chief Bill Nelson wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "Standing down on tonight’s attempt to launch #Starliner. As I’ve said before, @NASA’s first priority is safety. We go when we’re ready."

The next potential launch date could be Tuesday night, though the severity of the issue on Tuesday remains uncertain.

The mission has faced significant delays over the years, occurring during a challenging period for Boeing amid a safety crisis affecting its longstanding commercial aviation division. Nasa is relying on a successful Starliner test to potentially certify another commercial vehicle for transporting crew to the ISS.

The astronauts, wearing Boeing's bright blue spacesuits, were assisted out of the spacecraft before boarding a van to depart from the launch tower at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, heading back to their quarters. Williams and Wilmore, both experienced pilots trained in the US Navy, have each completed two missions to the ISS, once aboard a shuttle and later on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, the report said.

Upon launch, Starliner will ascend into orbit propelled by an Atlas V rocket. Following liftoff, the crew will manually pilot the spacecraft to assess its operational capabilities. The capsule, shaped like a gumdrop with a cabin akin in size to an SUV, is scheduled to attach with the ISS for a week-long mission. During this period, Williams and Wilmore will execute various tests to validate Starliner's functionality before embarking on a parachute-assisted landing in the western US upon return to earth.

Previous delays in Boeing's mission

In 2019, a software malfunction during an initial unmanned test flight led to the capsule missing its intended trajectory and failing to reach the ISS. Nasa said the failure was caused due to insufficient safety checks by Boeing.

In 2021, blocked valves led to the postponement of another launch attempt. Subsequently, in May 2022, the vessel successfully docked with the ISS during an unmanned mission. However, additional issues, such as subpar parachutes and flammable cabin tape, surfaced, leading to further delays in the crewed test flight crucial for Starliner's certification for regular Nasa missions to the ISS.