Boeing Starliner Crewed Test Flight Coming This June, With Two Chances In Case of Mishaps

This weekend was supposedly another Boeing Starliner crewed test flight, but it was yet again delayed by the company, NASA, and United Launch Alliance, but good thing is a nearby schedule is set. Two new launch windows are given Boeing and its Starliner to conduct its first crewed test flight this June, with these chances offering leeway for a mishap that may occur again.

Starliner has seen a massive plague in its launch tests for many years now, and each time, the spacecraft faces delays and rescheduling as it is still not ready for the actual feat.

Boeing Starliner's Crewed Test Flight Coming This June

A supposed June 2 launch for Boeing Starliner's first crewed test flight was yet again scrubbed by NASA, Boeing, and ULA, citing an issue with the computer ground launch sequencer. NASA's blog post claimed that it didn't load the correct operational configuration after it started the terminal count, and this is a crucial piece in its launch procedure to ignore.

For the time being, the ULA Atlas V rocket and Boeing Starliner were put in safe configuration while awaiting the next steps for its supposed launch.

The astronauts were also made to exit the spacecraft after aborting the supposed launch, with NASA claiming that this June still features launch windows for the Starliner's awaited test.

Starliner June Tests: Two Chances Available

In a previous update from NASA, Boeing, and ULA, the Starliner's next launch windows will take place this first week of June, with the nearest one scheduled for Wednesday, June 5, and the one after that slated for Thursday, June 6.

Starliner will still launch from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex-41, with this week possibly making headway for its first crewed test flight.

Boeing Starliner's Scrubbed Test Flights

Boeing received the NASA Commercial Crew contract alongside SpaceX and its Falcon and Dragon spacecraft, but thedifference between the two is that the latter has done a lot of missions for the space agency already. For many years, Boeing has been stuck in its development and testing phase, with the company claiming that it already lost $1.1 billion in 2023 since the project started.

There have been various reasons why the Starliner faced delays, and most are because of safety concerns and ensuring that all of its systems are ready to bring astronaut teams alongside its tests. In March 2023, NASA delayed Starliner's test flight because of faulty parachutes despite following a successful uncrewed test flight of the spacecraft with only a mannequin onboard.

Earlier this year, there should have been crewed test flights for Boeing's Starliner but was ultimately delayed to the end of May, a schedule which was also scrubbed by NASA and its partners due to faulty valves. It yet again missed a launch schedule earlier today and cited computer issues, with the next scheduled happening this June, hopefully, one that would push through for the company.