Boeing's First Astronaut Flight Delayed Again Due to Last-Minute Computer Trouble

By Madz Dizon

Jun 02, 2024 06:31 AM EDT

Boeing's First Astronaut Flight Delayed Again Due to Last-Minute Computer Trouble — CST-100 Starliner rolls out of Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility (C3PF) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida on April 16, 2024, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will fly Starliner, for about a one week stay aboard the space station.
(Photo : CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)

A computer-system malfunction caused a delay in the launch of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft on Saturday, just moments before takeoff.

This unexpected setback has posed challenges for mission planners and the astronauts on board.

NASA's Starliner Launch Aborted

Two NASA astronauts were seated in the company's Starliner capsule when the countdown abruptly stopped at 3 minutes and 50 seconds. According to AP, the computer system responsible for managing the final moments before liftoff made the decision.

Given the limited time available, there was no opportunity to address the most recent issue, resulting in the cancellation of the launch.

Technicians hurriedly rushed to the pad to assist astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams as they exited the capsule perched atop the fully fueled Atlas V rocket at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Shortly after the launch abort, the hatch was reopened.

Starliner Mission Scrubbed Due to Computer Malfunction

According to officials, there was an unexpected malfunction in the computer system responsible for coordinating the final moments before launch, known as the ground launch sequencer.

Tory Bruno, the CEO of ULA, emphasized the importance of having two backup systems for the ground launch sequencer.

However, one of the backups was experiencing slow operation, which ultimately led to the mission being scrubbed, Wall Street Journal reported.

According to Bruno, the ULA team requires physical access to the systems to carry out further analysis. Starliner was on the verge of launching, prompting Wilmore, a former Naval aviator, to deliver a short speech about the mission's significance for the nation.

Based on the necessary fixes, the upcoming Boeing astronaut flight launch could potentially take place as early as Wednesday. If the launch doesn't happen this week, there won't be another opportunity until mid-June to move the rocket and replace the batteries.