Boeing Starliner test flight scrubbed again after waiting on final countdown

Enlarge / NASA commander Mannish Wilmore exits THE Starliner spatialship SATURDAY following THE wash launch attempt.

A computer control THE Atlas V the rocket countdown sets off A automatic socket less that four minutes Before has lift-off of Boeing commercial Starliner spatialship SATURDAY, keeping THE crew test flight on THE ground has less A little more days.

NASA astronauts Mannish Wilmore And Suni Williams were Already a board THE spatialship When THE countdown stopped due has A issue with A ground computer. "Socket. Socket. Socket," A member of Atlas V launch team called out on A audio feed.

With THE socket, THE assignment lack A instant launch opportunity has 12:25 p.m. p.m. EDT (4:25 p.m. UTC), And later SATURDAY, NASA announcement teams will give up A launch opportunity Sunday. THE following chance has send Starliner In orbit will be 10:52 a.m. am EDT (14:52 UTC) Wednesday. THE assignment has A launch opportunity each one to two days, When THE International Space Train stations orbital track moves back In appropriate alignment with THE Atlas V the rocket launch buffer In Florida.

Wilmore And Williams will take THE Starliner spatialship on It is First of all crew flight In Low land orbit. THE capsule will Dock with THE International Space Station around A day After launch, spend has less A week there, SO back has A parachute landing has A of two landing areas In New Mexico Or Arizona. Once operational, Boeing Starliner will join SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule has give NASA two independent evaluated by humans spatialship For carry astronauts has And Since THE space station.

It is has been A long road has get here with THE Starliner spatialship, And There is more work has TO DO Before THE the capsules long delayed First of all flight with astronauts.

Technicians Since United Launch Alliance, constructor of THE Atlas V rocket, will to start troubleshooting THE computer issue has THE launch buffer SATURDAY evening, After evacuation propellant Since THE launch vehicle. Early indications suggest that A map In A of three computers governing THE final minutes of THE Atlas Against countdown doesn't boot up as quickly as planned.

"You can imagine A big shelf that East A big computer Or THE functions of THE computer as A controller are broken up separately In individual cards Or printed thread circuit boards with their logic devices," said Tory Bruno, the ULAs president And CEO. "They are all autonomous, but together It is A integrated controller."

THE computers are located has THE launch buffer inside A shelter close THE base of THE Atlas V rocket has Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. All three computers must be fully functioning In THE final phase of THE countdown has ensure triple redundancy. HAS THE moment of lift-off, these computers control things as retract umbilical lines And release bolts holding THE rocket has It is mobile launch platform.

Two of THE computers activated as THE final countdown sequence began has T-minus 4 minutes. A Single map In THE third computer took about six more seconds has come online, although he did boot up Ultimately, Bruno said.

"Two came up Normally And THE third A came up, but he was slow has come up, And that sets off A red double," he said.

A disappointment

Wilmore And Williams, both veteran astronauts And ancient WE Marine test the pilots, got out THE Starliner spatialship with THE help of Boeing ground team. They income has NASA crew quarters has THE close Kennedy Space Center has wait For THE following launch attempt.

THE calendar For THE following to try will depend on What ULA workers find When they to access THE computers has THE launch buffer. Civil servants initially said they could to start another launch countdown early Sunday if they find A simple solution has THE computer issue, such as exchange out A defective map. THE computers are networked together, but THE architecture East designed with replaceable cards, each responsible For different functions during THE countdown, has allow For A fast fix without having has replace THE entire unit, Bruno said.