2024-05-08 03:00:01
(ANSA) – WASHINGTON, MAY 07 – The first crewed flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has been postponed to May 17, NASA announced the day after a postponement decided shortly before takeoff due to a technical problem.
A new takeoff attempt could take place “no earlier than 6.16pm on Friday 17 May”, time to carry out a repair, the US space agency wrote in a press release.
On Monday, the Starliner was finally due to take off for the first time towards the International Space Station (ISS), thus joining the very exclusive club of spaceships that have carried human beings. But about two hours before the scheduled launch time and while the two American astronauts had entered the capsule, the takeoff was cancelled: an anomaly was identified on a valve of the Atlas V rocket that was supposed to push the Starliner capsule into orbit .
A Friday 10 May liftoff date was mentioned last night, but further analysis has shown that the valve in question actually needs to be replaced – a job that requires the rocket to be returned to its hangar. The two astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will remain isolated in the meantime, NASA said. (HANDLE).
2024-05-08 03:00:01