Cape Canaveral (Florida) [US], June 2 : Boeing and NASA have called off the much-anticipated launch of the Starliner spacecraft, which was slated for today. The launch window of 12:25 pm ET from Cape Canaveral, Florida, has now passed without liftoff, CNN reported.
The scrub occurred when the countdown clock was halted by an automatic hold triggered by the rocket's launch computer. Following this, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams exited the capsule and returned to crew quarters.
This mission follows years of development and setbacks for Boeing's Starliner, which aims to rival SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft in crewed spaceflight.
Once the mission eventually launches, Wilmore and Williams are scheduled to spend a day in orbit before docking with the International Space Station, according to CNN.
NASA is set to hold a news conference at 3 pm ET today to discuss the issue that led to the automatic hold of Starliner's launch.
The hatch of the Starliner crew capsule has been opened, and Williams and Wilmore have left the capsule to return to crew quarters.
According to the live NASA broadcast, the hold likely occurred because the ground launch sequencer computer detected an unexpected condition after issuing a command, and it couldn't confirm a proper response to the command.
During a recent flight readiness review, Williams remarked on the complexities of spaceflight, saying, "Every step of the way, we're realising this makes us rethink how we do business," Williams said, adding, "We have a capable spacecraft and we have people that can find solutions. We expect to find things that will help us make the spacecraft safer to fly. These launch dates are not magical. They are an opportunity to do our job. There will be more issues, and we'll be ready to handle them."
NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, who is set to pilot the upcoming Boeing Starliner-1 mission following a successful test flight, shared his thoughts on the emotional disappointment of scrubbed launches during the live NASA broadcast.
"I remember back in the shuttle days we would play this game of getting ready for launch and then scrubbing and then coming back and getting the mission done," Fincke recalled. "And I think over time, we won't remember today, or May 6, so much because we're going to have a great launch in our future," CNN reported.
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