Starliner Delay: NASA and Boeing Push Flight to 2022

Starliner's Flight Delay and Ongoing Investigations

An update was jointly released by NASA and Boeing on Tuesday regarding the Starliner capsule. The earliest possible timeframe for the spacecraft’s next flight is now projected to be within the first six months of the coming year.

The capsule remains grounded following the discovery of an issue with its oxidizer valves in August. This problem surfaced approximately four and a half hours before the originally scheduled launch date.

Valve Issue and Investigation Details

The problematic launch was intended as an uncrewed test flight, officially designated Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2). This represented the second such test for the Starliner system.

Despite ongoing efforts, Boeing has yet to pinpoint the precise cause of the malfunction. Thirteen out of the twenty-four valves within the propulsion system were found to be stuck in a closed position during standard pre-flight checks.

Two of these valves have been removed from the spacecraft. They have been transported to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center for detailed disassembly and analysis, as stated by Michelle Parker, Boeing’s chief engineer for space and launch, during a media conference.

Commercial Crew Program and Future Flights

In 2014, NASA awarded contracts to both Boeing and SpaceX. Each company was tasked with providing six round-trip crewed missions to the International Space Station under the Commercial Crew Program (CCP).

NASA is currently evaluating both contracts with the potential to increase the number of flights assigned to each company. This consideration stems from the anticipated extension of the ISS’s operational lifespan beyond 2024, according to Steve Stich, NASA’s manager of CCP.

The projected schedule could eventually involve each company transporting astronauts to and from the station on an annual basis.

Stich expressed NASA’s continued faith in Boeing’s ability to achieve successful crewed flights. He stated that the current issue will be resolved, leading to the desired outcome of having two independent space transportation systems – one operated by Boeing and the other by SpaceX.

Timeline and Financial Responsibility

John Vollmer, Boeing’s CCP program manager, estimates a six-month period will be required between a successful OFT-2 and the first crewed mission.

Boeing will assume the financial burden associated with the valve investigation and the resulting launch delay, rather than NASA.

Previous Launch Attempts and SpaceX's Progress

This marks the second attempt to launch Starliner. The initial OFT-1 mission in 2019 failed to achieve the intended orbit due to a software anomaly.

In contrast, SpaceX, the other contractor under NASA’s CCP, has already completed three successful crewed missions utilizing its Crew Dragon capsule. A fourth mission is scheduled for Halloween.

• Starliner: Facing delays due to oxidizer valve issues.
• SpaceX: Successfully completed three crewed missions with Crew Dragon.
• CCP: Aims for two independent space transportation systems.