NASA and Boeing have hit pause on the historic crewed launch of the Starliner spacecraft, now aiming for no earlier than May 21. The mission, initially set for May 6, faced delays due to technical glitches—proving even space isn’t immune to last-minute hiccups! 🛠️
Teams traced a small helium leak in the spacecraft’s service module, linked to a thruster component. While helium isn’t dangerous, it’s crucial for maneuvering, so NASA and Boeing are fine-tuning fixes. Meanwhile, the rocket’s valve issues got resolved after a successful replacement earlier this month.
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are still geared up for their week-long stay at the ISS, a milestone for Boeing’s Starliner under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. If all goes well, this mission could greenlight regular crewed flights to the space station. 🌌
Once back on Earth, the duo will make a dramatic parachute-assisted landing in the U.S. Southwest—because even space trips deserve a grand finale. 🪂
