The International Space Station (ISS) witnessed a significant milestone as the Boeing Starliner, carrying Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams and her crewmate Butch Wilmore, successfully docked on Thursday. This remarkable achievement marks the first time a woman, the 59-year-old Ms. Williams, has piloted and tested a new crewed spacecraft on its inaugural mission.
Hugs all around! The Expedition 71 crew greets Butch Wilmore and @Astro_Suni aboard @Space_Station after #Starliner docked at 1:34 p.m. ET on June 6. pic.twitter.com/wQZAYy2LGH — Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) June 6, 2024
Notably, this is her third visit to the ISS, having previously brought an idol of Lord Ganesh and the Bhagavad Gita to space. To commemorate her arrival, Ms. Williams joyfully performed a dance and embraced the seven other astronauts already present on the space station.
Upon the arrival of Ms Williams and Mr Wilmore, they were greeted by the resonating sound of a bell, a longstanding tradition within the International Space Station (ISS).
Sunita Williams expressed her gratitude towards her crewmembers, referring to them as "another family," for the warm welcome they gave her during the "dance party." She also mentioned that this was the perfect way to kick things off.
Ms Williams and Mr Willmore became the inaugural crew to pilot Starliner. They effectively connected the Boeing spacecraft to the ISS approximately 26 hours subsequent to departing from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The pair of NASA astronauts observed Starliner as it autonomously performed a sequence of maneuvers to gradually approach the orbiting laboratory before docking. The docking process was postponed by approximately an hour because of technical issues such as minor helium leaks.
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During their journey to the International Space Station (ISS), the crew successfully carried out a range of tests, which included the inaugural manual flight of the Starliner in space. Their stay in space will last approximately one week, during which they will contribute to diverse tests and conduct scientific experiments.
Listen to the @Space_Station crew's remarks welcoming #Starliner Crew Flight Test commander Butch Wilmore and pilot @Astro_Suni to ISS after entering today at 3:45 p.m. ET. pic.twitter.com/2TGVNQW89r — Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) June 6, 2024
Upon their return to Earth aboard the Starliner, their landing is planned to take place on solid ground rather than in the ocean. NASA has long sought an alternative to the SpaceX Crew Module for transporting astronauts, and the Boeing Starliner is emerging as a promising contender within the commercial crew program.
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