NASA and Boeing faced a setback on Monday as they were forced to abort the launch of the Starliner capsule to the International Space Station due to a last-minute issue with a valve on the spacecraft’s rocket at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, NBC News reported.
The launch, intended to be a crewed test flight, was scheduled to carry NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams into orbit, but was called off approximately two hours prior to liftoff after an anomaly was detected on an oxygen valve of the Atlas V rocket.
This delay adds to the challenges Boeing has already encountered with its Starliner program, including years of delays, budget overruns, and technical issues. The mission controllers emphasized safety, highlighting the need for thorough testing before authorizing routine flights to and from the space station.
