(23 December 2019)DAILY MARKET BRIEF 1:Boeing Starliner Capsule Runs Into Problems After Launch

Boeing Co. launched the first test flight of its Starliner space capsule from Florida, but the mission ran into problems roughly half an hour later and won't dock with the international space station as planned. Liftoff of the specially-instrumented CST-100 vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air Force Base, aboard an Atlas V rocket, is intended to chart the course for routine missions carrying National Aeronautics and Space Administration crews to and from the international space station. On Friday, Starliner's launch on its long-awaited trip into orbit without astronauts occurred without hitches and Starliner separated from the booster precisely as planned after roughly 15 minutes. But instead of powering up the capsule's own engines roughly 15 minutes later to start raising its orbit as expected, controllers delayed the maneuver because they determined Starliner wasn't in the proper orbit. The capsule is now expected to return to White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico as early as Sunday, said NASA Administrator Jiim Bridenstine at a news conference. One hour after launch, NASA cut off its video feed after indicating the capsule was in a stable orbit and had electrical power. Flight controllers were "assessing all their options" and "contemplating the next maneuvers for the spacecraft," NASA said. As engineers assessed the problem and used onboard thrusters to try to correct the orbit, Bridenstine suggested the mission wouldn't make it to the space station.

By Vincent Mivelaz