Boeing Starliner crewed mission postponed shortly before launch

Space Daily ^ | May 7, 2024 | Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo, Issam Ahmed

[Salman]

The first crewed flight of Boeing's Starliner spaceship was dramatically called off just two hours before launch after a new safety issue was identified, officials said Monday, pushing back a high-stakes test mission to the International Space Station.

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were strapped into their seats preparing for liftoff when the call for a "scrub" came, because engineers noticed audible buzzing from a liquid oxygen relief valve on the Atlas V rocket meant to propel the capsule into orbit.

In a late night press conference, Tory Bruno, president and CEO of United Launch Alliance (ULA) that built the rocket, told reporters the unusual vibrations were a sign the valve parts might be wearing down to the point of failure, but insisted "the crew was never in any danger."

Engineers will now work through the night to determine the degree of deterioration and decide whether to re-fit the same part on the launchpad, or wheel the rocket back to its assembly building to install a new valve, he added.

...

[Salman]

The next American citizen on the Moon (if there is one) will be a scientist on a Chinese spacecraft.

[Red Badger]

If it’s Boeing, you ain’t going.......................

[mikey_hates_everything]

Loose screen door.

[j.frank.dobie]

Not a Boeing issue. The valve was on the launch boosters that the Boeing spaceship sits on. United Launch manufactures the rocket launch boosters.

[cgbg]

“United Launch manufactures the rocket launch boosters.”

I would enjoy watching Boeing put that in a press release.

;-)

[AnotherUnixGeek]

This is embarrassing. If it wasn’t for SpaceX, we’d basically have no presence in space.

[packagingguy]

America in the age of Biden.

It’s probably for the best because at least the crew is alive.

[usafa92]

Except it is a Boeing issue. ULA is a joint venture between Lockheed and Boeing.

[chajin]

“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.” (JFK)

Someday a generation will arise that will fill the measure of our fathers. If we are still in God’s magnificent grace, it will consist of American children, because we have forfeited our chance at extraterrestrial greatness.

[PLMerite]

What, are they holding out for the Boeing Starliner MAX ?

[telescope115]

Where do I begin? I was watching “live” last night, starting with the astronauts being suited up. Watched them being driven out to the launch pad, being prepped by ULA employees in the clean room outside the hatch, getting loaded into the spacecraft, strapped in, all the while listening either to the on-air ladies talking about the astronauts, the spacecraft, the mission. There were brief comments from the ULA flight controllers on the mission status, up to the announcement scrubbing the flight. In the meantime, I fired up my laptop- what I like to do is watch a launch on two different devices- one, my 55” TV, and two, my tablet or laptop. I know, one should suffice, but I’m a geek😁-what can I say… On the TV, I was watching on NASA TV, on the laptop, I was watching on NASA’s YouTube feed. I got confused real fast- I was watching “live” on the TV- the astronauts were being strapped in. On NASA’s YouTube feed, they were already being driven BACK to the crew’s facility! I’m like-“what’s going on here?” I kept watching- what it comes down to, is, NASA’s “live” feed on the NASA TV app on my TV was 45 minutes behind the YouTube app on my laptop! I expected a delay of some seconds, but NOT 45 minutes. At least on previous launches I’ve seen, that’s been the case. WHAT THE HELL, NASA?

[butlerweave]

They never planned to launch anyway

[MtnClimber]

The audible buzzing was probably a mosquito.

[Salman]

It’s an America issue. The age of Right Stuff has been over for a while.

[bigbob]

Problem related to BA stock price?

[NorthMountain]

If it wasn’t for SpaceX, we’d basically have no presence in space.

And that would be why NASA issued a ton of contracts to SpaceX. Contrary to popular belief around here, NASA isn't dumb.

[The Louiswu]

“… mission postponed shortly before launch…”

Good thing because if it had been postponed after launch there might have been a problem. Good luck those who fly Boeing.

[PIF]

That goes for Europe as well. SpaceX’s Falcon and Falcon Heavy are basically the West’s only launch platform of note at present.

The Europeans are getting their space launch facilities and rockets in Scotland up to snuff. But it will be a few years yet until they are ready.

Japan and India are minor players in the commercial space business.

[NorthMountain]

SpaceX has more launches this year so far than the rest of the world combined. The same was true last year. China is a distant second, Russia is almost nonexistent. One could almost argue that Falcon is The WORLD'S only launch platform of note.

Most of SpaceX launches are for one particular customer: SpaceX. That, too, is something of a novelty.

[Rio]

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams
Butch and Suni?