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.
