Boeing's first astronaut launch is off until late next week to replace a bad rocket valve

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Boeing’s archetypal astronaut motorboat is disconnected until precocious adjacent week due to the fact that of a atrocious valve successful the rocket that needs to beryllium replaced.

The countdown was halted Monday nighttime aft a pressure-relief valve successful the Atlas V rocket’s precocious signifier opened and closed truthful rapidly and truthful galore times that it created a large buzz. Engineers for United Launch Alliance determined Tuesday that the valve has exceeded its plan bounds and indispensable present beryllium removed, pushing liftoff to nary earlier than May 17.

The NASA astronauts assigned to the Starliner capsule’s trial formation to the International Space Station — Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams — volition stay astatine Cape Canaveral.

Starliner's archetypal unit formation already is years down docket due to the fact that of a multitude of capsule problems.

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