Boeing postpones launch of manned capsule for the second time
Kyiv • UNN
Boeing has postponed the launch of the manned Starliner space capsule to the International Space Station for the second time due to a small helium leak detected in the ship's service module.
Due to technical problems, Boeing has again decided to postpone the launch of the Starliner manned space capsule to the International Space Station. This was reported by Reuters, according to UNN.
Details
A new launch attempt is scheduled for Florida no earlier than May 21 at 16:43, Boeing said in a statement on Tuesday.
Boeing said in a statement that a new technical problem has led to another postponement of the Starliner launch until at least next Tuesday.
Starliner crews work to repair a small helium leak found in the spacecraft's service module
They added that engineers traced the leak to a component on one of the ship's 28 propulsion control engines used to maneuver in Earth orbit.
Representatives of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), together with Boeing, will conduct tests and try to fix the helium leak before the next possible launch of the Starliner on May 21 at 20:43 GMT (23:43 Kyiv time).
Helium is used on the spacecraft to create the fuel pressure that powers the Starliner engines for orbital maneuvering.
The launch was also postponed last week. The two astronauts were then attached to the capsule and prepared for departure. Technicians found a problem with a valve that regulates the pressure in the liquid oxygen tank on the Atlas V rocket that will send Starliner into orbit.
