Boeing’s Starliner faces another delay due to helium leak

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has experienced another delay, pushing its first crewed launch to May 25 due to a helium leak in the service module. Initially scheduled for May 21, this latest setback follows a series of delays and technical issues over the years. NASA and Boeing are currently addressing the leak, ensuring the system maintains performance and redundancy.

The upcoming mission will carry NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams to the International Space Station (ISS) for a week-long stay. Successful completion is crucial for NASA’s certification of Starliner for future crewed missions.

Despite a decade-long $4 billion contract under NASA’s Commercial Crew Programme, Boeing’s Starliner has faced numerous challenges, including a failed mission in 2019 due to a clock error, thruster issues in 2022, and other design problems that led to indefinite delays. Comparatively, SpaceX, also part of the programme, has completed multiple crewed missions since 2020.

As Boeing continues to tackle these issues, the Starliner remains positioned atop an Atlas V rocket at Cape Canaveral, awaiting its revised launch date.