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:
After about a decade of setbacks and challenges, Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner is set to head to orbit with crew aboard for the first time tomorrow evening. To say that it has been a roller coaster for engineers and managers of the legacy-rich company would be a massive understatement. Still, the mood among the Space Coast workers at Boeing is best described as quietly confident.
Delta IV Heavy on March 28, 2024 Photo: Charles Boyer / ToT
Today was an active day for launch scheduling: United Launch Alliance has announced that they will make their next attempt to launch Delta IV Heavy and NROL-70 on Tuesday April 9th, and later, NASA announced that the Crewed Flight Test of Boeing’s Starliner is now Monday, May 6th.
Delta IV Heavy / NROL-70
Delta IV was scrubbed at T-min 3:58 by a faulty gaseous nitrogen pump on its first attempt March 28, and at the time, ULA engineers and CEO Tory Bruno were optimistic that a second attempt could happen the next day. Unfortunately, the pump failed again, and ULA stated that they would announce a new launch date only when they were certain that they and NASA (who provides the N2 service to the pad) were past the problem.
Today ULA released their new target date:
DELTA IV HEAVY TO LAUNCH NROL-70
“A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy rocket is launching the NROL-70 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. This is the 16th and final launch of a Delta IV Heavy rocket.
Launch Date and Time: April 9 at 12:53 p.m. EDT, pending range approval
The launch will be from SLC-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Starliner Crewed Flight Test (CFT)
The Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft is lifted at the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex-41 at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on May 4, 2022. Photo: NASA/Frank Michaux
Later on in the day, rumors of a shift in the Starliner launch date from May 1st came to pass when NASA made this announcement:
NASA, Boeing Update Launch Date for Starliner’s First Astronaut Flight
“Following a review of the International Space Station operations, NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test now is targeting no earlier than Monday, May 6, for Starliner’s first launch with astronauts to the orbital complex. The date adjustment optimizes space station schedule of activities planned toward the end of April, including a cargo spacecraft undocking and a crew spacecraft port relocation required for Starliner docking. NASA and Boeing also are performing prelaunch closeout work and completing final certification for flight.”
It should be noted that Starliner’s launch date was not moved due to any technical issue, but instead because of ISS logistics.
NASA Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore will be aboard Starliner when it heads to the International Space Station for a planned one week stay on the orbiting outpost.
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