Boeing's inaugural Starliner crewed flight to ISS halted by rocket glitch

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft's inaugural crewed flight to the International Space Station (ISS) has been called off due to a malfunction in its launch rocket.

Despite being in the final stages of preparation, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams had to exit the spacecraft's capsule after the pre-launch countdown was halted. The issue was pinpointed by United Launch Alliance engineer Dillon Rice, who identified a faulty oxygen valve in the rocket's upper stage as the cause of the abrupt halt.

There's no word on when the Starliner will attempt its journey again. This represents yet another delay for the spacecraft's first crewed mission, which has seen its launch date pushed back multiple times over the years due to technical issues.

Boeing is treading cautiously, ensuring no risks are taken with this pivotal first crewed flight. However, the Starliner's journey hasn't been smooth sailing from the start. Its debut launch in 2019 was uncrewed and failed because the capsule entered an incorrect orbit and failed to rendezvous with the ISS. Subsequent investigations revealed additional technical shortcomings.

The Starliner project originated from a NASA contract awarded a decade ago. Boeing and Elon Musk's SpaceX were selected to develop a vehicle for shuttling astronauts to and from the ISS. In comparison, SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft has been completing orbital missions since 2020, highlighting a stark contrast in the performance of the two systems.