Boeing's Starliner Mission Faces Another Delay: Helium Leak Discovered in Service Module

Cape Canaveral, Florida United States of America
Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore return to Houston during delay
Boeing's Starliner mission faces another delay due to helium leak in service module
Helium leak traced to a flange on a single reaction control system thruster
Launch rescheduled for no earlier than May 21 at 4:43 p.m. Eastern time
Starliner mission marks significant milestone in commercial space travel, reducing US reliance on Russia for crewed transportation to ISS
Boeing's Starliner Mission Faces Another Delay: Helium Leak Discovered in Service Module

Boeing's long-awaited Starliner spacecraft mission faced another setback as a helium leak was discovered in the service module, delaying the launch for at least a week. The leak was traced to a flange on a single reaction control system thruster in the spacecraft. This is not the first time Boeing has encountered issues with its Starliner mission; previously, there was an anomaly with one of the rocket's pressure valves that required replacement.

The Starliner mission, which aims to carry NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore to the International Space Station (ISS), was initially scheduled for May 17 but has now been rescheduled for no earlier than May 21 at 4:43 p.m. Eastern time on an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Boeing, NASA, and ULA teams are working diligently to address the helium leak issue and ensure the safety of the crewed test flight. The astronauts have returned to Houston to spend time with their families during this delay.

The Starliner mission marks a significant milestone in commercial space travel, as it represents Boeing's entry into NASA's Commercial Crew Program. This program aims to reduce the United States' reliance on Russia for crewed transportation to the ISS and pave the way for future manned missions beyond Earth.

Despite these setbacks, Boeing remains committed to delivering a successful Starliner mission and continuing its partnership with NASA and ULA. The company has a rich history in space exploration, having played a crucial role in numerous milestones throughout the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo programs, and the space shuttle era.

Stay tuned for updates on Boeing's Starliner mission as we bring you the latest developments.


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Confidence

91%

Doubts
  • Is the helium leak a recurring issue with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft?
  • What is the exact cause of the helium leak?

Sources

99%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Boeing’s Cursed Starliner Mission Delayed Due to ‘Small Helium Leak’

Gizmodo Passant Rabie Tuesday, 14 May 2024 18:30
  • Unique Points
    • Boeing’s Starliner mission has been postponed for a second time due to a small helium leak in the spacecraft’s service module.
    • The helium leak is traced to a flange on a single reaction control system thruster in the spacecraft’s service module.
    • NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been in pre-flight quarantine but returned to Houston to spend time with their families before liftoff.
  • Accuracy
    • Boeing's Starliner mission has been postponed for a second time due to a small helium leak in the spacecraft's service module.
    • The new targeted liftoff date is May 21 at 4:43 p.m. ET.
    • Teams are targeting a launch date of no earlier than May 21 for additional testing.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

99%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Historic Starliner crewed launch attempt delayed again due to helium leak in Boeing spacecraft

CNN News Site: In-Depth Reporting and Analysis with Some Financial Conflicts and Sensational Language Madeline Holcombe Tuesday, 14 May 2024 19:16
  • Unique Points
    • Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft launch has been delayed due to a helium leak in the service module.
    • The leak was traced to a flange on a single reaction control system thruster.
    • NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore have been in preflight quarantine but returned to Houston to spend time with their families during the delay.
  • Accuracy
    • Boeing's Starliner mission has been postponed for a second time due to a small helium leak in the spacecraft's service module.
    • The helium leak is traced to a flange on a single reaction control system thruster in the spacecraft's service module.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

100%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Boeing delays key space test flight once again

The Fixing Site: A Summary of the Article. Christian Davenport Tuesday, 14 May 2024 18:31
  • Unique Points
    • A valve that regulates pressure inside a liquid oxygen tank on the rocket’s second stage malfunctioned during countdown.
    • The helium leak is traced to a flange on a single reaction control system thruster in the spacecraft’s service module.
  • Accuracy
    • Boeing is delaying the first flight with humans on its Starliner spacecraft
    • The launch was scheduled for Friday but has been pushed back to Tuesday at the earliest
    • A valve that regulates pressure inside a liquid oxygen tank on the rocket’s second stage malfunctioned during countdown
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

94%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Helium leak delays Starliner crewed test flight

Space News Site: https://spacenews.com/lunar-time-standard/ Jeff Foust Tuesday, 14 May 2024 20:39
  • Unique Points
    • The cause of the delay is a small helium leak in the spacecraft’s service module, traced to a flange in one of Starliner’s reaction control thrusters.
    • Helium is used to pressurize the propulsion system on the spacecraft.
    • Boeing announced that the launch, previously scheduled for May 17, has been rescheduled for no earlier than May 21 at 4:43 p.m. Eastern on an Atlas 5 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
  • Accuracy
    • The launch of Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft on its first crewed flight has been delayed at least four days due to a helium leak in the spacecraft.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    No formal fallacies found. However, there are some implicit assumptions and potential misleading statements.
    • ] Boeing did not state in the announcement when the leak was detected, including if it was known during the previous launch attempt May 6 versus some time later, or if the leak would have prevented a launch had it been detected during the countdown. Company spokespersons did not respond to questions about the leak.
    • ] There had been few updates about the status of the mission after the announcement it would be delayed to May 17 to replace the Centaur valve. There had been hints, though, that the mission might slip beyond that date.
    • ] NASA officials, while eager to start using Starliner and end its reliance solely on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, emphasized after the May 6 scrub that they were not in a hurry to launch the CFT mission. “We’re not in a rush to fly from a station standpoint. We did clear our summer schedule intentionally to give us plenty of runway for the CFT mission.” Dana Weigel, NASA ISS program manager, said at the briefing after the scrub.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication