Starliner’s arrival comes eight years after Boeing was first contracted by NASA to deliver a commercial spacecraft.
On Friday evening, Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft successfully docked onto the International Space Station as part of an uncrewed flight test for NASA’s commercial crew program. The Starliner was launched from Space Launch Complex-41 on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Following the launch into orbit, Starliner performed a series of systems demonstrations to verify the spacecraft was “healthy” and could manoeuvre safely. According to Boeing, ground controllers in Houston used Starliner’s autonomous systems to guide the uncrewed spacecraft through orbit, while astronauts at the space station monitored Starliner throughout the flight and at times commanded the spacecraft to verify control capabilities.
“Starliner has proven safe, autonomous rendezvous, and docking capability”, Boeing Space and Launch senior vice president Jim Chilton said. The spacecraft itself is fitted with a fully functional life support system, as well other critical systems to support humans.
