The second unmanned flight test of Boeing's Starliner capsule has been canceled due to a technical problem: the same US company announces it with a tweet, communicating that it will soon give new indications regarding a possible new attempt for tomorrow.
The launch had already been postponed on July 30th due to the rotation of the International Space Station (ISS), caused by the unexpected ignition of the engines of the Russian Nauka module.
In a statement, Boeing said that during pre-launch preparation, engineers found anomalies about the placement of a valve in the propulsion system.
"The problem - reads the note - was initially identified during the checks following the thunderstorms with lightning that struck the Kennedy Space Center region yesterday". Hence the decision to postpone the launch, which could be attempted again tomorrow, even if the technicians of Boeing and NASA are still evaluating the situation.
“We regret what happened today and the need to reschedule the launch of our Starliner,” said John Vollmer, vice president and head of Boeing's Commercial Crew Program. "Human space flight is a complex, precision, unforgiving undertaking, and the teams at Boeing and NASA will take the time to ensure the safety and integrity of the vehicle and the achievement of our mission objectives."
