Boeing plans to launch its Starliner space capsule to the International Space Station this August, despite ongoing technical problems.

The news comes after the launch was delayed earlier this week due to issues with Starliner’s propulsion system’s valves.

The aerospace manufacturer said it is working with NASA and United Launch Alliance – Boeing’s partnership with Lockheed Martin Corp - on confirming launch dates for the capsule.

Boeing said they found issues with 13 of the vehicle’s valves and they have fixed seven of them since the problem was first discovered on 3 August.

The planned launch would be Boeing’s second attempt to launch Starliner to the International Space Station, after an unsuccessful launch attempt in December 2019.

Before the propulsion issues had been revealed Boeing had announced plans to send manned missions to the International Space Station before the end of the year. No statement has been made about whether this is still the case.

"Boeing is working a systematic plan to open the affected valves, demonstrate repeatable system performance, and verify the root cause of the issue before returning Starliner to the launch pad for its Orbital Flight Test-2 mission," said a Boeing spokesperson.

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