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In yet another setback for United Launch Alliance (ULA), Boeing's much-anticipated astronaut flight faced a frustrating delay on Saturday due to last-minute computer troubles. 

This unfortunate turn of events marks yet another delay in a series of setbacks that have plagued the mission over the years, leaving NASA and space enthusiasts alike eagerly waiting for a successful launch.

This setback is particularly significant since Boeing has been trying to establish itself as a reliable alternative to SpaceX for the last 5 years. 

SpaceX has had a total of 341 launches. Since 2020, the space agency has launched 12 crewed flights to space, seven for NASA and four for commercial customers.

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United Launch Alliance 

The launch was scheduled to take place at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

NASA astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, were eagerly strapped into the Starliner capsule before the launch was scrapped.

The countdown was automatically halted at 3 minutes and 50 seconds, just moments before liftoff, by the computer system responsible for controlling the final minutes before launch.

Technicians raced to the pad to assist the astronauts, but there was not enough time to rectify the issue. And the launch was called off. 

Tory Bruno, CEO of ULA, revealed that the problem stemmed from one of the three redundant computers near the rocket at the pad experiencing sluggish performance. All three computers must function flawlessly for a launch to proceed safely.

Computer Glitch

Following the launch abort, the team began troubleshooting the computer glitch. That process could only begin after the rocket had been drained of its fuel. 

The next launch attempt could be as early as Wednesday, or potentially delayed until mid-June depending on the severity of the issues.

Mark Nappi of Boeing emphasized the need for perfection in any launch claiming that every component has to function flawlessly. This sentiment was echoed by NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, who said that delays are an inherent part of spaceflight. And said he was looking forward to a successful launch in the future.

The United Launch Alliance encountered severe software issues during the initial test flight in 2019. Then there was a myriad of subsequent delays due to parachute problems and propulsion system leaks.