Boeing suffers another blow as NASA announces delay of the first manned flight

NASA has once again delayed Boeing's (NYSE: BA) Starliner manned flight mission, citing the need for more time to evaluate helium leakage issues in the spacecraft's propulsion system, the agency said in a statement.

The launch, originally scheduled for May 25, has now been postponed, with the next possible launch date still under discussion.

"The team has been meeting for two consecutive days to evaluate flight principles, system performance, and redundancy," NASA stated. "There is still work to be done in these areas, and the next potential launch opportunity is still under discussion."

The latest delay in this maiden manned mission came as mission officials conducted an in-depth review of helium leakage issues within the Starliner's propulsion system. This issue was discovered on May 7, just before the spacecraft was preparing to launch from Florida. Additionally, problems were found with the Atlas (NYSE: ATCO) booster. The Atlas rocket is manufactured by United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin (LMT.N).

NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore will be the first crew members of the Starliner, heading to the International Space Station. This mission marks the first manned flight after years of delays, technical issues, and two unmanned demonstration flights—one failed in 2019 and a successful attempt in 2022.

The mission, involving these two veteran test pilots, will be the final significant test before Starliner receives NASA certification. SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft has been NASA's primary vehicle for traveling to and from the International Space Station since 2021.