Washington, May 25 (Agency) NASA has worked through the latest problems that have repeatedly postponed the first crewed flight of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner to the International Space Station (ISS) and has now set June 1 as the next date for its planned launch, the space agency said on Friday. “The agency is working toward a launch at 12:25 pm, Saturday, June 1, for the first crewed flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program,” NASA said in a statement.
NASA and United Launch Alliance (ULA) engineers and technicians have contained and are monitoring a helium leak on a service module on the Starliner after replacing a valve and it poses no significant risk. Boeing Vice President Mark Nappi said the company can manage the leak so it is not really a safety flight issue. Other launch opportunities are available on Sunday, June 2; Wednesday, June 5; and Thursday, June 6, according to NASA.