Boeing Starliner overcomes water leaks and engine failures and docks in 'big city in the sky'

Boeing's Starliner spacecraft successfully delivered two astronauts to the International Space Station. This is an important milestone in the aerospace giant's quest to certify its capsule for regular crew missions.

The Starliner docked safely at 10:34 a.m. Pacific Time. After some time was taken to equalize the pressure between the Starliner and the station, the hatch was opened at about 12:46 p.m. Astronauts and spaceflight veterans Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams entered the ISS to cheers and hugs from the seven crew members already aboard. This is the third time each person has visited the station, but the first time people have visited the station using a Boeing Starliner capsule.

Boeing and NASA are currently conducting a roughly 10-day Starliner spacecraft test mission due to numerous delays and technical issues. After eight days on the ISS, the two astronauts will reboard the Starliner and return home for a parachute-assisted landing somewhere in the southwestern United States.

Although successful, the mission was not without its problems. The vehicle experienced three helium leaks, one of which was confirmed before the spacecraft even left Earth, but Boeing said the leaks were not a safety concern for the crew or vehicle. Additionally, five of the 28 thrusters in the spacecraft's propulsion system failed, but Boeing and NASA were able to get four of them back online after conducting hot fire tests. So essentially, we could turn the thrusters off and on again. These thrusters are very important as they slightly shift the capsule's trajectory as it approaches the station.

A thruster issue forced the two astronauts to stop the Starliner less than 1,000 feet from the ISS and hold off docking. After fixing the problem, I was able to dock it a few hours later.

“We’re excited to be connected to the great city in the sky,” Wilmore told Mission Control. “It’s a really nice place.”