In a dramatic turn of events, the highly anticipated Boeing Starliner flight carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams was called off just moments before liftoff due to a critical issue with the Atlas V rocket. The buzzing sound from an unusual audible source was heard by crews at the launchpad just before the scheduled liftoff, causing ULA to call off the flight. According to reports, ULA had made a rule not to make any changes to the rocket’s state when astronauts were present, including opening and closing valves. The buzzing sound was reportedly caused by an oxygen relief valve in the Centaur Stage of the Atlas V rocket, raising concerns about its functionality. The launch has been rescheduled for at least the end of next week to allow for further safety checks and protocols to be re-examined. This delay comes after ValveTech, a NASA contractor, warned that Boeing should halt the Starliner launch due to serious safety risks posed by a leaking valve in an oxygen tank. The company questioned how NASA, Boeing, and Aerojet qualified the valve for the mission without proper supporting data or previous history. It remains to be seen whether these safety concerns will have any further impact on the Starliner mission and whether Boeing can address them satisfactorily before the next launch attempt.
