Boeing finds two severe issues with Starliner simply weeks earlier than launch

Enlarge / The Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft jettisons the warmth protect earlier than it lands in 2019. (credit score: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

A Boeing official mentioned Thursday that the corporate was “standing down” from an try to launch the Starliner spacecraft on July 21 to deal with not too long ago found points with the car.

Mark Nappi, vice chairman and program supervisor for Starliner, mentioned two spacecraft issues had been found earlier than Memorial Day weekend and that the corporate spent the vacation investigating them. After inner discussions that included Boeing chief govt Dave Calhoun, the corporate determined to delay the check flight that will carry NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore to the Worldwide House Station.

“Security is all the time our prime precedence, and that drives this determination,” Nappi mentioned throughout a teleconference with reporters.