Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has successfully carried two astronauts to the International Space Station, a key milestone in the aerospace giant’s quest to certify the capsule for regular crewed missions.
Starliner docked safely at 10:34 a.m. Pacific Time. After taking time to equalize the pressure between Starliner and the station, the hatch opened around 12:46 p.m. The astronauts, spaceflight veterans Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, entered the ISS to applause and hugs from the crew. seven crew members already on board. This is the third time they have visited the station, but the first time a human being has done so using a Boeing Starliner capsule.
Boeing and NASA are currently in the midst of what will end up being a roughly 10-day test mission of the Starliner spacecraft, which has been plagued by numerous delays and technical problems. The two astronauts will spend eight days on the ISS before reboarding Starliner and returning home for a parachute-assisted landing somewhere in the southwestern United States.
Although the mission was successful, it was not without problems. The vehicle experienced three helium leaks, one of which was identified before the spacecraft even left Earth, although Boeing says the leaks are not a safety issue for the crew or the vehicle. On top of that, five of the spacecraft’s propulsion system’s 28 maneuvering thrusters failed, although Boeing and NASA were able to get four of them back online after conducting hot-fire tests, essentially turning them off and on again. These thrusters are critical, making minimal changes to the capsule’s trajectory as it approaches the station.
The thruster problem forced the two astronauts to stop the Starliner less than 1,000 feet from the ISS and suspend docking. They were able to dock a few hours later after fixing the problem.
“It’s good to be attached to the big city in the sky,” Wilmore told Mission Control. “It’s a great place to be.”
Starliner launched aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on Wednesday, marking the first time the capsule has carried astronauts into space. This mission is the critical final step before Starliner can obtain certification for regular astronaut transport missions with NASA. At the moment, SpaceX is the only provider of that service and uses its Crew Dragon capsule.