Boeing and NASA scrub launch of Starliner spacecraft

The hatch of the Starliner crew capsule has been opened, and Williams and Wilmore are exiting the capsule so they can return to crew quarters.

The hold likely occurred because the ground launch sequencer computer, responsible for triggering launch, detected an unexpected condition after issuing a command, and the computer wasn’t able to verify a proper response to the command, according to the live NASA broadcast.

During a recent flight readiness review, Williams acknowledged that “spaceflight is complicated.”

“Every step of the way, we’re realizing this makes us rethink how we do business,” Williams said. “We have a capable spacecraft and we have people that can find solutions. We expect to find things that will help us make the spacecraft safer to fly. These launch dates are not magical. They are an opportunity to do our job. There will be more issues, and we’ll be ready to handle them.”

NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, who is slated to serve as pilot for the upcoming Boeing Starliner-1 mission that would follow a successful test flight, talked about the emotional disappointment of scrubbed launches during the live NASA broadcast.

“I remember back in the shuttle days we would play this game of getting ready for launch and then scrubbing and then coming back and getting the mission done,” Fincke said. “And I think over time, we won’t remember today, or May 6, so much because we’re going to have a great launch in our future.”