Boeing's First Astronaut Flight Delayed Yet Again Due to Computer Troubles

Boeing's inaugural astronaut launch faced another setback due to last-minute computer issues. NASA astronauts, including Sunita Williams, were geared up but had to abort when the countdown halted at just 3 minutes and 50 seconds. Technicians worked to resolve the issue, but the launch remains postponed.

In a familiar scenario, Boeing's much-anticipated first astronaut flight was delayed once more on Saturday due to unexpected computer complications. The latest in a turbulent series of postponements saw two NASA astronauts, one of whom was Sunita Williams, strapped inside the Starliner capsule, only for the countdown to halt abruptly with mere minutes to liftoff.

The glitch occurred at precisely 3 minutes and 50 seconds before takeoff, as the control system intervened. Given the razor-thin timing, there was no opportunity to rectify the issue before the launch was scrubbed. Ground technicians hurried to extract astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams from the capsule, mounted atop a fully fueled Atlas V rocket at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Within an hour, the hatch was reopened.

Tory Bruno, CEO of United Launch Alliance, the rocket's manufacturer, revealed that technicians could not troubleshoot the problem until the rocket's fuel was fully drained. A sluggish redundant computer was identified as the culprit. The next launch attempt could occur as early as Wednesday, depending on repairs. Otherwise, the attempt will be pushed to mid-June.

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