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Beritasenator.com. Boeing has canceled its first astronaut launch at the last moment after discovering a valve problem on the Atlas V rocket. The two NASA test pilots had just climbed the kBoeing’s Starliner capsule at Cape Canaveral space station for the flight to International Space Station on Monday evening (US EST) when the countdown stopped – two hours before the planned takeoff.
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It’s the latest delay for Boeing’s first crewed flight, which has been delayed for years by capsule problems.
The Atlas V rocket is manufactured by the United Launch Alliance, which includes Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
United Launch Alliance chief executive Tory Bruno said the latest delay may have been caused by the oxygen pressure release valve on the top of the rocket starting to open and close, creating a loud buzz.
The valve may have exceeded its 200,000 life cycle which would mean it would need to be replaced, so the rollout will take place next week, Bruno said.
In its update, NASA said the launch would take place as early as Friday.
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Bruno said similar valve problems had occurred in previous years on other Atlas rocket launch satellites and the problem was resolved by turning the valve off and back on.
But the company has stricter flight regulations for astronaut flights, prohibiting valve recycling when there is a crew on board.
Illustration of the NASA logo that has appointed someone for UFO research (Pexels/Blue Arauz)
“So we stuck to the rules and procedures, and as a result we ignored them,” Bruno said at a news conference.
That meant NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore, 61, and Sunita “Suni” Williams, 58, had to be removed from the capsule by technicians, before they were taken out of the launch complex to await the second capsule. flight attempt when the problem is resolved.
