Boeing tries first astronaut launch on delayed NASA test flight again

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, left, and Suni Williams share a laugh as they leave the building for a trip to launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41 Saturday, June 1, 2024. ©Associated Press

Boeing's company’s Starliner capsule was due to rocket away at midday with a pair of test pilots to the International Space Station for a weeklong stay.

The test drive should have happened years ago. But problems kept piling up, most recently a leak that went unnoticed until the first launch attempt with a crew in early May.

NASA wants a backup to SpaceX, which has been flying astronauts for four years.

United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket is providing the lift from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

© Euronews