This week was expected to see the maiden launches of two new spacecraft: Boeing’s crewed Starliner spacecraft and the first Chang Zheng 6C rocket from China.
The launch of Starliner’s Crewed Flight Test (CFT) mission will be the first crewed launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station since the Apollo era, as well as the 100th overall mission for the United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket. After discovering an issue with an oxygen relief valve on the Centaur upper stage of the launch vehicle, the flight has been delayed until no earlier than May 17 to allow replacement of the misbehaving part.
The first Chang Zheng 6C, a dual-engine variant of the Chang Zheng 6 (CZ-6) rocket developed and launched by China, launched approximately an hour after Starliner was initially due to take to the skies on Monday, May 6. China will also launch a Chang Zheng 3B and a 4C later in the week. Other flights this week include up to four more Starlink missions from SpaceX launching from both coasts of the US.