The first crewed Starliner spacecraft successfully connected with the International Space Station.
During a live broadcast, it was reported that up to five of the 28 thrusters used for maneuvering had malfunctioned for the US space agency NASA. Fortunately, four out of the five compromised thrusters later regained functionality, ensuring the required number needed for the docking was met.
After two previous attempts in May and June had to be aborted due to technical issues, the launch of the Starliner spacecraft on Wednesday was deemed a success. The mission included 61-year-old astronaut Butch Wilmore and his 58-year-old counterpart, Suni Williams, both involved in the first manned mission of the spacecraft. These two individuals manually steered the capsule towards the International Space Station (ISS). Post-docking, they planned to open the hatch to enter the station. Wilmore and Williams were anticipated to stay on board the ISS for roughly a week.
NASA and Boeing were slated to hold a press conference in the aftermath of the successful docking at a later time on Thursday.
Going into the Starliner launch, NASA and Boeing were already aware of a minor helium leak on just one of the thrusters dating back to the first delayed launch attempt in May. The negligible amount of helium escaping was deemed below the set limit, leading to the decision to skip a repair. This would have required sending the capsule back to the factory for disassembly. Subsequently, two additional helium leaks occurred after the launch.
Although helium is non-flammable, it is essential for powering the space capsule, which created concern over any potential connection to the pre-docking incidents.
NASA intends to use both the Starliner and the Dragon capsule from SpaceX for regular astronaut transport trips to the space station. The Dragon capsule, managed by billionaire Elon Musk's company, has been transporting NASA astronauts to the ISS for some time.
Starliner has faced a string of setbacks in recent years. An unmanned Starliner test flight in 2019 missed its intended target orbit due to a software error, necessitating the capsule's return to Earth. The following year, a launch was postponed due to blocked valves. Then, in May 2022, the capsule finally reached the ISS during an uncrewed flight. Multiple delays ensued before a crewed mission could take place.
The Starliner program joins the ranks of the previous United States-originated space capsule programs—Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo in the 1960s and later endeavors such as the Space Shuttle and Dragon following it.
(Data: P. McCarthy)
