Engineers are confident the leak will not worsen in flight, and even if it does, the Starliner can safely launch June 1.
After nearly three weeks of exhaustive tests and data analysis, NASA managers said Friday they are confident Boeing 's oft-delayed Starliner crew capsule can safely launch 'as is' on June 1, saying a small helium leak in the ship's propulsion system does not pose a flight safety concern.
Because traces of extremely toxic propellants could still be present in the plumbing, the seal could not be replaced or even inspected while the capsule was still attached to the Atlas 5. The Starliner would first have to be hauled back to Boeing's processing hangar at the Kennedy Space Center for invasive repairs that would trigger a lengthier delay.Instead, NASA and Boeing ordered tests and analysis to fully understand the leak and what sort of problems it might cause in flight.
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