Late this evening, NASA released a statement to credentialed media saying that the oft-delayed Starliner Crewed Flight Test will not launch on May 25th as planned.
NASA, Boeing, and ULA are foregoing the Saturday, May 25 launch attempt for NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test. The team has been in meetings for two consecutive days, assessing flight rationale, system performance, and redundancy. There is still forward work in these areas, and the next possible launch opportunity is still being discussed.
NASA will share more details once we have a clearer path forward.
This mission has been delayedseveral times after the first launch attempt was scrubbed on May 6, 2024 due to a faulty valve on the second stage of Atlas V. The rocket was taken off its launch pad and moved back to ULA’s Vertical Integration Facility at SLC-41 where repairs were effected.
A Helium leak was discovered in the Starliner service module during that repair period, and mission managers have been apparently assessing the problem since then with no conclusion reached. There is no word — as of yet — as to whether Starliner will be de-stacked from the Atlas V rocket slated to carry it to orbit and the leaky seal repaired, or whether it will be deemed acceptable and the flight allowed to be launched with Starliner as-is.
That conclusion must be reached before a potential new launch date can be determined. If Starliner requires repair, it will likely take some time, likely best measured in weeks. If it is decided that the vehicle can fly as-is, there are potential launch dates on May 28, June 1 and 2, and June 5 and 6, 2024.
Teams process Dream Chaser Tenacity, Sierra Space’s uncrewed cargo spaceplane, inside the Space Systems Processing Facility (SSPF) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, May 20, 2024, following its arrival from the agency’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Ohio. Photo: NASA
Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser ‘Tenacity’ arrived at Kennedy Space Center on May 18, and is now inside the Space Systems Processing Facility’s (SSPF) High Bay, where it will undergo final testing and prelaunch processing ahead of its maiden launch scheduled for later this year. The novel spacecraft will undergo acoustic and electromagnetic interference and compatibility testing, completion of work on the spaceplane’s thermal protection system, and final payload integration in the SSPF prior to launching later this year.
The move came after Tenacity finished its environmental test suite NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio. “Successful completion of an incredibly rigorous environmental testing campaign in close partnership with NASA is a significant milestone and puts Dream Chaser on track for operations later this year,” said Sierra Space CEO, Tom Vice on May 9th. “This is the year that we transition from rigorous research and development to regular orbital operations and – in doing so – transform the way we connect space and Earth.”
Teams process Dream Chaser Tenacity, Sierra Space’s uncrewed cargo spaceplane, inside the Space Systems Processing Facility (SSPF) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, May 20, 2024, following its arrival from the agency’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Ohio. Dream Chaser Tenacity will undergo final testing and prelaunch processing inside the high bay of the SSPF ahead of its inaugural launch atop a ULA (United Launch Alliance) Vulcan rocket from nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The reusable transportation system is contracted to perform a minimum of seven cargo missions to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s efforts to expand commercial resupply services to low Earth orbit.
Dream Chaser will be the first vehicle to orbit from a legacy of six decades of experimental lifting body vehicle research. Previous iterations include NASA’s HL-20 spaceplane concept of the early 1990s, the X-20 Dyna-Soar, as well as Northrop M2-F2, Northrop M2-F3, Northrop HL-10, Martin Marietta X-24A and X-24B, and Martin Marietta X-23 PRIME vehicles.
On its first mission, Dream Chaser will deliver supplies to ISS, as well as test the vehicle on orbit through re-entry and landing. That mission should happen later this year aboard a ULA Vulcan rocket.
A 2016 rendering of Dream Chaser docked to ISS. Graphic: Sierra Space
Dream Chaser Legacy Vehicles
HL-10HL-20HL-20M2-F2X-24BX-23 PRIMEX-23 PRIMEX-23 PRIME
Credits HL-10: NASA HL-20 1: NASA HL-20 2: NASA M2-F2: NASA X24-A: NASA X-24-B: NASA X-23 PRIME: National Archives via Dwayne Day
The Space Coast could see up to three launches this week: two Starlink launches from SpaceX, and if mission managers accept the current state of Boeing’s Starliner, at long last, the first crewed launch of the vehicle. Here’s a look at the schedule as it currently stands on Monday, May 20, 2024:
Wednesday, May 22: Starlink 6-62
Organization: SpaceX
Rocket: Falcon 9, Block 5
Launch Site: Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Launch Window: 10:33 PM – 02:33 AM EDT
Payload: 23 Starlink Satellites
Booster Return To Launch Site: No
There has been a steady stream of Starlink Group 6 launches over the past several months, and this is another one of them. While the mission may be similar to many other recent launches, every rocket launch is slightly different and worth viewing, so despite the apparent lather-rinse-repeat nature of a Starlink launch by SpaceX, it will be worth viewing.
Photo: Ed Cordero / Florida Media Now
Thursday, May 23: Starlink 6-63
Organization: SpaceX
Rocket: Falcon 9, Block 5
Launch Site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center
Launch Window: 06:45 PM – 10:45 PM EDT
Payload: 23 Starlink Satellites
Booster Return To Launch Site: No
This launch may be interesting, especially if it launches at the beginning of the window or if it is pushed back into the twilight hours of early evening.
If it launches close to the beginning of the planned launch window in the golden light of late afternoon, it will be a gorgeous sight to see, with the rocket illuminated by the yellowish light of the last part of daytime. Playalinda Beach should be open to viewers during that time. Remember that Playalinda has a hard closing time of 8 PM, so if the launch is delayed past then, you will have to leave and find another spot to watch.
No launch provider plans liftoff based on spectators, however, so if either of those things happens, it will be because SpaceX mission managers have decided that Falcon 9 is ready for flight. That’s as it should be, as spaceflight is not an entertainment business.
Photo: NASA, via livestream
Saturday, May 25: Boeing Starliner Crewed Flight Test
Organization: United Launch Alliance, Boeing, NASA
Rocket: ULA Atlas V
Launch Site: Space Launch Complex 41, Kennedy Space Center
Launch Window: 3:09 PM EDT. Instantaneous window
Payload: Boeing CST-100 Starliner capsule with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams
Booster Return To Launch Site: No
This is the most tenuous launch planned for the week. This mission has been delayedseveral times after the first launch attempt was scrubbed on May 6, 2024 due to a faulty valve on the second stage of Atlas V. The rocket was taken off its launch pad and moved back to ULA’s Vertical Integration Facility at SLC-41 where repairs were effected.
A Helium leak was discovered in the Starliner service module during that repair period, and at the time of this writing, mission managers are evaluating the leak (it is within tolerances) to decide if it is acceptable for flight. Sometime during the week, the results of the analysis will be announced by NASA and Boeing, and the launch schedule for Starliner will become clearer.
If the launch proceeds as scheduled, northern viewpoints in Titusville will be best for spectators if they are not on-site at Kennedy Space Center Visitors Center. Playalinda will be closed to spectators as this is a northeastward launch with crew.
Schedule Shifts Possible
Several factors affect launch dates and times: weather, technical readiness and range availability.
There is an old saying in the spaceflight industry: “Hundreds of thousands of things have to go right for their to be a launch, but only one has to go wrong for there to be a scrub.” That and “It’s better to be on the ground fixing a problem rather than wishing you were on the ground fixing a problem.”
In other words, no one launches unless they are certain they are ready. That means scrubs and schedule shifts are very possible, and anyone planning to watch a launch, either in person or online, should be prepared for launch times and shifts. It’s the nature of the business.
You can keep up with the general launch schedule here at Talk of Titusville, as we pass along schedule changes as soon as we know them. On launch day, the launch company’s website is the official source of information and there are several YouTube and X.com streams available that will give you the latest information.
Keep up with launch news and other space events that affect the local area by subscribing to alerts when we publish a new article by entering your email at the link at the bottom of this page, or by visiting Space Talk here on the website. It’s free and you can unsubscribe at any time.
After a day of speculation and probably leaks of the information on background, NASA, Boeing and United Launch Alliance have announced that they are pushing the schedule back another four days for the Crewed Flight Test of Starliner. The launching will be “no earlier than 3:09 p.m. EDT Saturday, May 25, for the flight test carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station,” according to a release from NASA.
As to the reason for the new delay, NASA stated:
“The additional time allows teams to further assess a small helium leak in the Boeing Starliner spacecraft’s service module traced to a flange on a single reaction control system thruster. Pressure testing performed on May 15 on the spacecraft’s helium system showed the leak in the flange is stable and would not pose a risk at that level during the flight. The testing also indicated the rest of the thruster system is sealed effectively across the entire service module. Boeing teams are working to develop operational procedures to ensure the system retains sufficient performance capability and appropriate redundancy during the flight. As that work proceeds, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and the International Space Station Program will take the next few days to review the data and procedures to make a final determination before proceeding to flight countdown.“
Reading between the lines, it seems that the leak has not been repaired but is instead “stable.” NASA and Boeing now have to “assess” whether this is an acceptable condition for flight. That decision will be made in the next few days and then everyone will have a better idea of when Starliner can launch with crew aboard for the first time.
The target launch date for Boeing’s oft-delayed CST-100 Starliner capsule has been shifted again. The Crewed Flight Test of the vehicle is now targeted for May 21 at 4:14 PM EDT.
According to Boeing, “Starliner teams are working to resolve a small helium leak detected in the spacecraft’s service module traced to a flange on a single reaction control system thruster. Helium is used in spacecraft thruster systems to allow the thrusters to fire and is not combustible or toxic.”
Atlas V Valve Issue Has Been Repaired
This comes after a scrub on May 6 due to a valve issue with United Launch Alliance’s Centaur upper stage of the Atlas V booster. This necessitated the vehicle being rolled back from the launch pad to the Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) at Space Launch Complex 41. Boeing says that the valve repairs on the Centaur stage are now complete, which implies that the sole reason for the new delay is the new issue with Starliner.
“On May 11, the ULA team successfully replaced a pressure regulation valve on the liquid oxygen tank on the Atlas V rocket’s Centaur upper stage. The team also performed re-pressurization and system purges, and tested the new valve, which performed normally,” Boeing said in today’s release.
Photo: Charles Boyer / ToT
CFT Astronauts Are Back In Houston
Boeing also says that “NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, still in preflight quarantine, returned to Houston on May 10 to spend extra time with their families as prelaunch operations progress.”
SpaceX Starship lifting off on the IFT-2 test from Boca Chica Texas.
Photo: Richard P. Gallagher, Florida Media Now
The Federal Aviation Administration, NASA and other parties have published a notice of intent to conduct an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for SpaceX Starship launches from Pad LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center, where it anticipates up to forty-four launches and landing at the facility.
A partially completed tower for those launches already stands at LC-39A, but construction was seemingly halted several months ago, and the launch pad was not finished. Now, it appears that plans are still very much active not only to launch Starship from Pad LC-39A, but also potentially from SLC-37 or a new launch pad, SLC-50, at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. An Environmental Impact Statement for the potential Cape Canaveral facility is already underway, with the initial public information portion already concluded. The draft for that study is expected late this year.
This Notice provides information to Federal, State, and local agencies; Native American tribes; and other interested persons regarding the FAA’s intent to prepare an EIS to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of issuing a commercial launch Vehicle Operator License to SpaceX for the Starship-Super Heavy launch vehicle at Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida. SpaceX proposes to construct launch, landing, and other associated infrastructure at and in proximity to LC-39A. The proposal would also include Starship-Super Heavy launches at LC-39A; recoverable Super Heavy booster and Starship landings at LC-39A or on a droneship; and expendable Super Heavy booster and Starship landings in the ocean.
Starship tower under construction in 2022
Photo: Charles Boyer / ToT
At this time, there has been no statement from any party as to whether this new EIS will affect the plans for the potential Starship facility being studied for Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. It could be one or the other, or most likely, both, given the high cadence of launches that SpaceX is planning for Starship.
Talk of Titusville contacted media officials at Kennedy Space Center regarding the timeline of the EIS, but they have not responded as of this time. Generally, an EIS period is between 6-12 months, but whether that is the case with the Starship EIS remains to be seen.
What Is An Environmental Impact Statement?
“The environmental impact statement (EIS) is a government document that outlines the impact of a proposed project on its surrounding environment. In the United States, these statements are mandated by federal law for certain projects. Environmental impact statements are meant to inform the work and decisions of policymakers and community leaders.”
“In the United States at the federal level, an EIS is a report mandated by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), to assess the potential impact of actions “significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.” This requirement under NEPA does not prohibit harm to the environment, but rather requires advanced identification and disclosure of harm. Examples include building, clean-up, and infrastructure projects. But the NEPA mandate is broader. Development projects that constitute major federal action, as defined by law, including those that use federal land, federal tax dollars, or are under federal agency jurisdiction, are required to assess the impact of a proposed project on the physical, cultural, and human environments affected by the proposed project. “
Additionally, “SpaceX now proposes to construct additional launch infrastructure not previously contemplated in the 2019 EA: a Super Heavy booster catch tower, a natural gas liquefaction system and air separation unit for propellant generation, and stormwater/deluge ponds. SpaceX also proposes to launch an advanced design of the Starship and Super Heavy vehicle (up to nine raptor engines for Starship and up to 35 raptor engines for the Super Heavy booster), operate at a projected higher launch tempo (up to 44 launches per year), and land the Super Heavy booster at LC-39A in support of its reusability concept. Starship landings are no longer proposed to occur at Landing Zone 1 at CCSFS.”
Accompanying propellant storage and distribution pipelines would also need to be constructed, especially if the launch cadence cited in the notice comes to pass. That, and SpaceX will need to construct fabrication, storage and refurbishment facilities for both the booster (the “Super Heavy” first stage) and the Starship, the now-familiar spacecraft that at first glance resembles a rocket from a 1950’s science fiction film.
Altogether, that would mean a lot of construction, along with the personnel to do the work. Afterward, a substantial number of people would also need to launch and maintain the Starship systems. All told, this could lead to significant economic activity on the Space Coast.
Starship At a Glance
Starship in flight in 2023. Photo by Richard Gallagher / Florida Media Now
Currently under development near Brownville, Texas, Starship is the largest and most powerful rocket ever built. According to SpaceX, it will be fully reusable, and capable of lifting 150 tons of payload to orbit in a reusable configuration, and 250 tons when it is configured as a conventional expendable rocket.
Current Starship designs are 397 feet tall, and 29.5 feet in diameter, producing some 16.7 million pounds of thrust at liftoff.
By comparison, the Saturn V rockets used for the Apollo Program were 362 feet tall, and produced 7.6 million pounds of thrust. By any measure, Starship is a huge rocket with immense power, and its launches and returns will be heard across the Space Coast.
Similar to how SpaceX Falcon 9 completes in many of its launches today, the Starship booster would return to land at its launch site when its task for the mission has been completed. Unlike Falcon 9, which lands at a landing area close by, Starship would return to its pad, where it would be grappled by “chopsticks” as it completed its final approach.
Starship is planned to be a fully reusable vehicle, meaning that its second stage (often simply called “the ship” in SpaceX parlance) would reenter and return to land at its launch pad using the same chopsticks as the booster.
Starship is still somewhat early in its development, with three test launches so far, and a fourth on the plate for the next few weeks. Along with SLS, it is a vehicle integral to Project Artemis, this time in the role of being the Human Landing System. HLS is where astronauts will land, live and work on the lunar surface, with the forward plan being for extended stays.
NASA rendering of the Artemis Human Landing System — a Starship variant — on the lunar surface. Credit: NASA
2024 Document
You can read the notification document released today in the Federal Register (original link is above) from the link below:
Artist’s rendition of Dream Chaser Tenacity on orbit. Graphic: Sierra Space
The maiden flight of Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser is a step closer to happening, according to a statement released by the company today. In a press release, Sierra said that that Tenacity — the first flight model of Dream Chaser– ashieved “the successful completion of a rigorous environmental test suite on the Dream Chaser spaceplane, at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio.”
“Successful completion of an incredibly rigorous environmental testing campaign in close partnership with NASA is a significant milestone and puts Dream Chaser on track for operations later this year,” said Sierra Space CEO, Tom Vice. “This is the year that we transition from rigorous research and development to regular orbital operations and – in doing so – transform the way we connect space and Earth.”
Dream Chaser Tenacity Photo: Sierra Space
Tenacity underwent shock, vibration, and thermal vacuum testing at Armstrong to verify its abilities to withstand the rigors of ascent aboard a United Launch Alliance Vulcan-Centaur rocket, as well as on-orbit operations after separation from the rocket that boosted it to orbit. The testing took several months and was recently completed, leading to the company’s announcement today.
Sierra Space said that, “The two vehicles were then stacked in launch configuration on the world’s most powerful spacecraft shaker table inside the test center’s Mechanical Vibration Facility. Sine vibration testing – conducted over a five-week period – simulated the intense conditions and environment of a launch on a Vulcan Centaur rocket.”
“After vibe testing concluded, the teams conducted another shock test – this time with the flight separation system between Dream Chaser and Shooting Star – to simulate the dynamic environment during separation of the two vehicles prior to de-orbit and re-entry.”
They added, “Next, the Sierra Space and NASA test teams transported the vehicles to the In-Space Propulsion Facility at Armstrong for thermal vacuum or “T-VAC” testing.
“Temperatures in space can range from the extremely cold – hundreds of degrees below freezing – to several hundred degrees Fahrenheit due to radiation from the sun. TVAC testing is a realistic thermal simulation of the flight environment and critical to ensuring mission success,” Sierra said.
“For more than five weeks, Dream Chaser and Shooting Star were subjected to multiple cold-hot cycles in a vacuum environment, between -150F to +250F, with teams conducting functional tests at temperature plateaus to verify system performance. “
Next, Tenacity will be transported to the Space Systems Processing Facility (SSPF) at Kennedy Space Center for integration and further preparations for launch. According to Sierra, “Remaining work on the thermal protection system will also be completed there.”
A Blue Origin BE-4 being mated to ULA’s second Vulcan Rocket, dubbed CERT-2 in April, 2024 Photo: Tory Bruno on X.
After those steps are completed, the launch campaign can begin in earnest. Sierra Space says that they remain on track for a 2024 launch of Tenacity, and for their part of the mission, United Launch Alliance is finishing assembly of the Vulcan-Centaur rocket that will deliver Tenacity to orbit.
If successful, this second flight will complete Vulcan’s certification for Department of Defense payloads, giving the mission additional importance above and beyond Dream Chaser’s debut. Currently, the launch is slated for late Q3 or early Q4 of this year.
Vulcan CERT-1 launching earlier this year. Photo: Charles Boyer / ToT
Atlas V in the gloaming earlier this evening at SLC-41. Photo: NASA
It was all going well until it wasn’t. That’s often the story with launch attempts: tens of thousands of things must work perfectly, perform as planned, and operate normally, and only one thing has to go wrong for the attempt to be called off.
That was the case with United Launch Alliance’s attempt to launch Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner this evening, and with about two hours left in a smooth-running countdown with astronauts already aboard Starliner, the launch attempt was scrubbed. A faulty valve on the Centaur upper stage of Atlas V malfunctioned, and flight rules dictated that the launch attempt be called off.
UPDATE May 7th 7PM: ULA, Boeing and NASA are now targeting Friday May 17th at 6:16 PM EDT for the next launch attempt of Atlas V and Starliner:
Atlas V and Starliner after completing the short journey the launch pad this morning. Photo: Charles Boyer / ToT
On a warm morning on one of the first days of summer here on the Space Coast, United Launch Alliance rolled Atlas V and Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner “Calypso” from ULA’s Vertical Integration Facility to the launch mount at Pad SLC-41.
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