Spacecraft Starliner successfully connects with the International Space Station amidst several glitches.
The "Starliner" spacecraft, manned by two NASA astronauts, successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS) despite facing significant technical difficulties. This feat was made possible on Thursday, with NASA live-stream revealing the spacecraft's docking process. Astronauts Barry Wilmore and Suni Williams are expected to spend a week at the ISS.
Before this eventful docking, two more helium leaks were identified on the Starliner. A previous leak had already been discovered before its launch and was deemed not dangerous by NASA. Consequently, all three discovered leaks are being monitored, valves have been closed, and the spacecraft is touted as more stable by NASA.
"Starliner," which is an orbital vessel comprised of a crew capsule and a reusable service module that lands on land instead of water like "Crew Dragon" by SpaceX, embarked on its maiden manned test flight on Wednesday, after several years of delays. US Vice President Kamala Harris praised this development, deeming it a "significant milestone for manned spaceflight." The test flight had been repeatedly postponed due to various technical challenges with both the spacecraft and the accompanying rocket.
In May 2022, the first uncrewed test flight of the "Starliner" developed and built by Boeing took place, successfully reaching the ISS and staying there for four days. This marked an essential test for the spacecraft. It's anticipated that the "Starliner" will be utilized to transport astronauts to the ISS in place of SpaceX's "Crew Dragon" in the future. However, "Starliner" falls significantly behind schedule in comparison to the routine crew transportation operations of "Crew Dragon."
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During their stay at the ISS, astronauts Barry Wilmore and Suni Williams will spend a full week. Despite the Starliner's docking with the ISS amidst technical issues, NASA is closely monitoring three identified helium leaks on the spacecraft.
