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Boeing pushed back the launch of its manned spacecraft again late Monday. The Starliner, the aerospace company’s response to Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, postponed its launch date just hours before the scheduled liftoff Monday night due to an issue with the pressure regulation valve on the vessel’s liquid oxygen tank.
NASA now expects that the earliest launch will be Friday at 9 p.m., Cape Canaveral time, to give the launch teams more time to troubleshoot the issue
The launch would be the first time the Starliner has had a manned flight. It’s set to head to the International Space Station, where it will dock before returning to Earth. Unlike other spacecraft, it is designed to land on solid land rather than in the ocean.
Upon its return, the Starliner will parachute to a spot in either New Mexico’s White Sands Missile Range, Willcox, Arizona, the Dugway Proving Ground in Utah, or Edwards Air Force Base in California.
The launch was originally planned for May 1, but was delayed a few weeks ago. Crews have been making preparations for weeks.
Boeing first announced the Starliner in 2010. It was originally supposed to be operational by 2015. The project has faced numerous delays over the years, from struggles fitting it on top of a rocket to software problems.
NASA’s contract with Boeing to develop the Starliner was for $4.6 billion. But because it has taken so long and had so many problems, Bloomberg reports that Boeing has actually lost $1.5 billion developing the craft.
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-Melvin Backman contributed to this article.