Boeing’s Starliner has efficiently reached and docked with the Worldwide Area Station, finishing an essential step for a vital check flight that might decide whether or not it is prepared for crewed missions. The unmanned spacecraft launched on prime of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral and traveled for over 25 hours to achieve the orbiting lab. 

Starliner made its first try to achieve the ISS in December 2019 however failed to attain its purpose as a result of a software program situation that prevented the spacecraft’s thrusters from firing. In August final yr, Boeing needed to scrap its launch plans as a result of an issue with the spacecraft’s valves, stopping the corporate from planning one other launch for nearly a yr. 

Whereas profitable, Orbital Flight Take a look at-2 wasn’t with out its personal points. As The Washington Put up stories, two of its 12 primary thrusters failed shortly after launch, and its temperature management system malfunctioned. The docking course of was additionally delayed by over an hour as the bottom crew ensured that the lighting was ideally suited and communications have been working as supposed. There was an issue with the spacecraft’s docking mechanism, as nicely, and it needed to retract the system earlier than extending it a second time. 

Boeing mentioned Starliner’s primary thrusters failed as a result of a drop in strain within the thruster chamber, nevertheless it’s not clear what had brought on it. Firm vp Mark Nappi defined that because the thrusters are on the service module that is discarded in the course of the return flight, Boeing may by no means discover out the precise cause for it. Nonetheless, NASA and the corporate plan to look at the opposite points that occurred to know them and forestall them from occurring sooner or later. 

Starliner will stay docked with the ISS for the subsequent 5 days earlier than making its return journey, which can see it land within the New Mexico desert. If the spacecraft efficiently comes again to Earth, then Boeing could possibly be sending astronauts to orbit as early as this fall.