Sunita Williams’ Mission to Space Postponed Due to Technical Glitch

The launch of the Boeing Starliner from the Kennedy Space Center at 8:04 AM IST has been put on hold due to a technical glitch.

The lift off was called off just 90 minutes before the launch of the Atlas V rocket much to the disappointment of viewers.

NASA announced there was an issue with a valve in the rocket's second stage.

Sunita Williams, 59, was about to fly alongside 61 year old Astronaut Barry Willmore, a navy test pilot who has flown to space twice.

The two skilled and resilient astronauts were still strapped to their seats when the mission was called off.

The Indian origin astronaut expressed nervousness on flying to space for the third time. She said, “When I reach the International Space Station, it will be like going back home.”

Sunita would have created history by becoming the first woman to fly on a maiden mission of a new human rated spacecraft, if the launch had not been called off.

She once held the record for the longest spacewalk duration of 50 hours and 40 minutes across seven spacewalks by a female astronaut; a record which was broken by Peggy Whitson. According to NASA, she has spent 322 days in space.

The date and time for the second lift-off is yet to be confirmed by the agency.