Not Going Well: Boeing Starliner's Thrusters Failed On ISS Docking Approach
It has been a busy week for space rocket news. After the successful fourth test flight of SpaceX's Starship, Boeing's Starliner encountered a thruster issue while attempting to dock at the International Space Station.
According to Bloomberg, Boeing and NASA are trying to determine why the Starliner's thrusters failed on approach to docking at the ISS. This is delayed docking.
The Starliner craft and its crew of two astronauts are holding a position about 200 meters (656 feet) away from the station, according to a live webcast of the mission. Docking was initially targeted for 12:15 p.m. New York time. A second docking opportunity opens at 1:33 p.m. in New York. Four thrusters failed in flight, but mission controllers were able to bring two back online after troubleshooting. The thrusters are used to help maneuver Starliner through space. -BBG
Here's more from the space blog Spaceflight Now:
Currently Starliner does not have permission to enter the so-called 'keep out sphere' around the space station while flight controllers continue to evaluate the troublesome manuevering thrusters. They will however close in by another 60 meters or so, under manual control, to a… pic.twitter.com/r6KMXFa42y
— Spaceflight Now (@SpaceflightNow) June 6, 2024
Watch Live:
*Developing...