Boeing's Starliner Capsule on Track to Launch on OFT-2 Mission to Space Station May 19

Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft sits atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida ahead of the planned launch of its Orbital Flight Test 2 mission to the International Space Station. That launch was scheduled to occur on Aug. 3, 2021, but issues with valves in Starliner’s service module have pushed it to May 19, 2022. (Image credit: Boeing)

NASA and Boeing are confident that the valve glitch that grounded Starliner for eight months has been fixed.

Boeing's Starliner capsule is finally ready to reattempt a key test launch to the International Space Station on May 19, officials said Tuesday.

The uncrewed flight, named OFT-2, is a vital step towards certifying the spaceship for eventually carrying passengers, giving NASA a second taxi provider alongside SpaceX.

Aerospace giant Boeing, which was awarded a $4.2 billion contract for the purpose in 2014, initially attempted the test in 2019, but failed to rendezvous with the ISS after experiencing software glitches that caused flight anomalies.

The programme has since experienced several delays. It was last supposed to fly in August 2021, but the mission was aborted just hours before launch because high humidity led to corrosion within Starliner's valves.

"It's been a hard eight months I would say, but very fulfilling that we've resolved the problem," said Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program on a call with reporters.

NASA is targeting 6:54pm (4:24am IST) for lift-off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

If OFT-2 succeeds, Boeing will have to complete another crewed test before it is officially certified, with the company aiming for the end of 2022 for this mission, Boeing's Mark Nappi said.

In the meantime, Elon Musk's SpaceX has already ferried more than 20 people to the ISS on its Crew Dragon capsule since its first crewed flight in 2020.

May 04, 2022