The inaugural crewed flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule has been delayed once more, leaving its launch date uncertain. Initially scheduled to launch over two weeks ago, the mission has faced multiple postponements. NASA announced the latest delay on Tuesday, stating that the planned May 25 launch attempt had been called off without setting a new date. According to SpaceNews, NASA will provide further updates once a clearer plan is established.
The first delay at the start of the month was due to a faulty oxygen relief valve on the ULA Atlas V rocket. After engineers replaced the valve, the mission was rescheduled but postponed again. On May 14, NASA reported a helium leak in the spacecraft’s propulsion system. Although NASA later confirmed that the leak was stable and not a flight risk, subsequent issues have prevented the launch.
NASA’s latest update mentioned that teams have been in continuous meetings to evaluate flight rationale, system performance, and redundancy. More work is needed in these areas, and the next possible launch opportunity remains under discussion. The ongoing delays in Starliner’s development are particularly critical now, as astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will be on board for this mission, heightening the importance of ensuring all systems are fully operational and safe.