Boeing's much-anticipated Starliner capsule made a triumphant arrival at the International Space Station on Thursday, overcoming last-minute thruster issues that nearly postponed the docking during its first manned test flight.
The capsule achieved a 260-mile-high (420-kilometer-high) linkup over the Indian Ocean, marking the culmination of over a day filled with dramatic challenges for Boeing's inaugural astronaut mission. NASA test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were on board, ready to embark on their mission.
Despite encountering an initial helium leak during the Wednesday launch, Boeing and NASA teams remained confident in managing the propulsion system, ensuring that additional leaks were improbable. However, the mission faced further complications as two more leaks emerged just hours into the flight, with another discovered post-docking. Nevertheless, the team navigated these issues successfully, allowing the Starliner to dock as planned.
Upon successful docking, Wilmore expressed his excitement, stating, \"Nice to be attached to the big city in the sky.\" Williams added a touch of enthusiasm by dancing to music as she entered the space station, followed by Wilmore snapping his fingers. The duo warmly greeted the seven residents aboard the station.
\"It was such a great welcome, a little dance party,\" Williams remarked. \"That's the way to get things going.\"
Boeing plans to retain the Starliner at the ISS for at least eight days before guiding it back to a landing in the western United States, paving the way for future manned missions and enhancing collaboration between NASA and private aerospace companies.
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Boeing's astronaut capsule arrives at the International Space Station
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