Indefinite Delay in Starliner Test Flight Program Announced
An indefinite delay has been announced by Boeing for its planned crewed Starliner flight test to the International Space Station.
"Boeing’s priority for Starliner’s Crew Flight Test is the safe launch, docking and return of Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.”
Boeing posted statement
In a statement posted on its Starliner website, Boeing said it has been notified by the parachute supplier of an issue, identified through testing, that reduced our safety margin. The Boeing engineering team provided additional analysis and, given that, determined the safest course of action was to stand down for the July launch opportunity.
Boeing is now determining when Starliner will be ready to launch, but anticipates additional parachute testing. The company says it remains committed to the Starliner program and is working closely with NASA to identify a new launch date.
"Boeing’s priority for Starliner’s Crew Flight Test is the safe launch, docking and return of Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. For that reason, we have recommended to NASA that we reevaluate our launch window to allow for closing out the remaining technical and certification items," the statement said.
Parachute Issue is One of Several Issues to be Addressed During Indefinite Delay
The indefinite delay comes following an update on test flight readiness of the Starliner. The parachute issue was identified as one of the technical issues that needs to be resolved before the spacecraft is deemed safe for human spaceflight.
Other issues include removal and replacement a by-pass valve on the active thermal control system, which is located on the Starliner service module and is used to flow coolant into the system to cool the onboard avionics, and evaluation of any potential elevated risk from a specific type of tape used on the spacecraft to protect wires from chafing.
Boeing said that as part of the ongoing effort, 95% of the Crew Flight Test certification products are complete. This includes approval of Starliner’s crew module batteries, based on additional testing and analysis, along with post-certification flight mitigations and a proposed battery upgrade for future missions. Teams are conducting final spacecraft closeouts and preparing for upcoming hardware milestones, including spacecraft fueling, spacecraft rollout to the launch site, and integration with the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.
“Crew safety remains the highest priority for NASA and its industry providers, and emerging issues are not uncommon in human spaceflight especially during development,” said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. “If you look back two months ago at the work we had ahead of us, it’s almost all complete. The combined team is resilient and resolute in their goal of flying crew on Starliner as soon as it is safe to do so. If a schedule adjustment needs to be made in the future, then we will certainly do that as we have done before. We will only fly when we are ready.”
(Source: Boeing Starliner blog. Images from file)