Boeing Will Miss Its July Launch Window For Crewed Starliner Test. That's The Good News.

The object lesson here is. . . never be shy about outright calling things off, when human safety at launch (or in space) would be any sort of an elevated issue. Any sort of issue that might be favorably addressed on the ground, first.

This is exactly how it is supposed to work. But after that earlier uncrewed Starliner failed to reach orbit in later December of 2019. . . I has a feeling there would be some more issues to vet, on the master Gant chart, before any crew would ride this capsule model into space. In fact, several issues remain open -- per this latest press briefing, from NASA and Boeing:

. . .Engineers also are working to evaluate any elevated risk from a specific type of tape used on the spacecraft to protect wires from chafing. Although the tape is commonly used in spaceflight, the adhesive properties of the tape could present a flammability risk under certain conditions. NASA and Boeing are evaluating this material and the system’s overall wiring protection to confirm it is acceptable for crewed flight.

Those efforts are ongoing and are expected to complete before Boeing begins fueling operations on the spacecraft. . . .

So -- now they will stand down, and likely rewire the whole shebang. And that is the right decision, before humans sign on to hop the ride. Onward, smiling.

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