Boeing’s Starliner successfully docks to the International Space Station for the first time

Image: NASA TV

This evening, Boeing's new passenger spaceship, the CST-100 Starliner, docked itself to the International Space Station, demonstrating that the vehicle can potentially bring humans to the station in the future. After years of delays and failures, Starliner has finally been able to use it in space.

Orbital Flight Test-2 is a key test flight for NASA. The capsule was developed by Boeing for NASA's Commercial Crew Program. NASA asked Boeing to conduct an uncrewed flight demonstration of Starliner to show that the capsule can hit all of the major milestones it will need to hit when it is carrying passengers.

Boeing has been slow to show Starliner's ability. This mission is called OFT-2 since it is a do-over of a mission that Boeing attempted in 2019. A software glitch prevented the capsule from getting in the right place to rendezvous with the International Space Station. Boeing had to bring the vehicle home early and never showed Starliner's ability to dock.

Starliner has finally shown what it was designed to do. The capsule autonomously guided itself onto an open docking port on the space station. Some issues with Starliner's graphics and docking ring caused the docking to be a little behind schedule.

Image: NASA TV

There was some concern about the ability of Starliner to dock with the space station after Boeing revealed some issues with the capsule. The United Launch Alliance built and operated the Atlas V rocket that Starliner was launched on. After leaving the Atlas V, Starliner had to fire its own engines to get to the space station. Boeing and NASA said that two of the Starliner's 12 thrusters failed and cut off too early after the maneuver. The capsule's flight control system was able to kick in and get Starliner into a stable position.

The issue should not affect the rest of Starliner's mission. The issue does not pose a risk to the rest of the flight test, according to Boeing.

The Starliner team is investigating some weird behavior of a thermal cooling loop, but Boeing said that the temperatures are stable.

It will stay at the space station for the next four to five days. The astronauts on board the International Space Station will open the hatch of the vehicle tomorrow morning to get some cargo. A mannequin called Rosie the Rocketeer is inside Starliner, which is a simulation of what it would be like for a human to ride in it.

Starliner will leave the station and return to its home after a brief stay. The capsule will be able to take itself out of the air and onto Earth. NASA and Boeing did not seem to be concerned about the two failed thrusters. Boeing has the option to use a different set of thrusters to perform the task if needed.

The Starliner team is celebrating their big milestone. Today will be the same.