(ORDO NEWS) — After numerous delays and narrowly avoiding disaster on its first launch, Boeing’s second attempt to dock its Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the OFT-2 mission is going pretty well.
Despite the fact that two Starliner engines failed after launch last week , the device was still able to dock with the ISS, completing part of the tasks of an unmanned mission.
Troubled Starliner
The corporation was stuck in manufacturing hell for several years , facing failure after failure. However, the successful docking of Starliner with the ISS may indicate that the black streak for Boeing has come to an end – if, of course, the device can return to Earth safe and sound.
It should be noted that the spacecraft not only successfully docked with the ISS, but also connected to the station’s computer systems and provided the required pressure in the “lobby”, which allowed the crew members to remove the cargo.
Despite engine problems, experts say the OFT-2 mission is going pretty well.
“This is an excellent mission so far – some problems should be expected given the ‘test’ nature of the flight,” Ars Technica senior space editor Eric Berger tweeted.
“Now there is a lot of work to be done to bring Starliner back safely.”
But the mission is not over yet. Starliner will have to close the hatches and undock from the station in order to enter the Earth’s atmosphere in the near future.
The craft is due to land at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico on Thursday morning, where it will be met by a ground team of engineers.
Can Boeing finally put Starliner’s troubled past behind it and focus on actually getting astronauts to the ISS? NASA representatives have not yet said when the first manned mission will take place, but some information will probably appear in the summer.
If Starliner proves to be a reliable vehicle, then Boeing could become a very formidable competitor to SpaceX.
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