Helium Crisis Delays First Crewed Flight of "Starliner"

NASA and Boeing have postponed the launch of the Boeing's crew capsule "Starliner" once again, giving them an additional four days to evaluate a helium leak before attempting to send the first astronauts aboard the vehicle into space. The launch of "Starliner" from Florida has been delayed multiple times in May due to a technical issue with the Atlas 5 rocket that is to carry the capsule, leading to earlier postponements. The program is also several years behind schedule and has exceeded its budget by more than $1.5 billion. NASA noted that the latest delay will allow more time to finalize the next steps to address the ongoing helium leak. The launch is now scheduled for no later than 3:09 PM Eastern Daylight Time on Saturday, May 25. It is worth mentioning that Boeing has been developing "Starliner" for over 10 years to provide NASA with a second American spacecraft capable of transporting astronauts to and from the International Space Station. The latest mission of "Starliner," called the Crew Flight Test, will be the final test before the spacecraft receives NASA certification for routine astronaut missions to the International Space Station.