Boeing’s (NYSE:BA) spacecraft that it is working on for the U.S. is facing delays.
The cause for delays to the Boeing spacecraft has to do with a recently-discovered propellant leak. This leak occurred when the spacecraft was going through its abort testing phase. BA says that it is working to resolve the issue.
The discovery of this propellant leak could set back the launch date of the Boeing spacecraft. This would be a major issue for the U.S., which is planning to use the ship to take its astronauts to and from the International Space Station.
As it is now, U.S. astronauts are getting to the International Space Station via Russian spacecraft. This is an expensive problem that the U.S. is looking to solve by making use of commercial spacecraft in the U.S. The Being spacecraft is one of these options, alongside SpaceX flights, reports The Independent.
If the commercial providers of flights to the space station aren’t ready in time, the U.S. will lose access to the International Space Station. It only has a timed agreement with Russia to use its spacecraft to reach the facility.
While the exact issue with the Boeing spacecraft hasn’t been announced by the company, other sources claim that a valve is the source of the problem. The issue specifically appears to be a hydrazine valve in the ship’s propulsion system. It reportedly didn’t close properly during the test.
BA stock was down slightly as of Monday morning.
As of this writing, William White did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
