Boeing’s Starliner first crewed spacecraft to be piloted by Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams is expected to be launched between June 1 and June 5 after the flight was postponed earlier this month due to a technical snag.
Williams, 58, will fly into space for the third time aboard the test flight.
A statement from NASA said: “Mission managers from NASA, Boeing, and ULA (United Launch Alliance) continue to evaluate a path forward toward launching the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station. The teams are now working toward a launch opportunity at 12:25 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, with additional opportunities on Sunday, June 2, Wednesday, June 5, and Thursday, June 6.”
Work continues to assess Starliner performance and redundancy following the discovery of a small helium leak in the spacecraft’s service module, the statement said.
It said teams were in the process of completing a follow-on propulsion system assessment to understand potential helium system impacts on some Starliner return scenarios.
Starliner will carry Williams and Butch Wilmore to the International Space Station, marking what could be a momentous and long-awaited victory for the beleaguered Boeing program.
An attempt to launch the first crewed test flight for the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral in Florida was postponed on May 6 after a technical snag was discovered moments before take-off.
