The planned docking of a Boeing Starliner capsule carrying its first astronauts to the International Space Station has been delayed as teams work to troubleshoot problems affecting the propulsion system, NASA said Thursday.
Crewmates Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are currently holding around 650 feet from the orbital outpost because of issues with reaction control system thrusters that provide fine maneuvering capabilities.
The astronauts, both ex-Navy test pilots, were piloting the craft manually, carrying out"hot fire tests" in an effort to restart the malfunctioning thrusters. Astronauts Wilmore and Williams are the first crew to fly Starliner, which Boeing and NASA are hoping to certify for regular rides to the ISS -- a role SpaceX has been fulfilling for the past four years, at significantly lower cost to the US taxpayer.
Boeing's program faced setbacks ranging from a software bug that put the spaceship on a bad trajectory on its first uncrewed test, to the discovery that the cabin was filled with flammable electrical tape after the second.
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Boeing Starliner astronauts wave off 1st ISS docking attempt amid thruster issuesMichael Wall is a Senior Space Writer with Space.com and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life, 'Out There,' was published on Nov. 13, 2018.
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Boeing Starliner attempts delayed ISS docking after thruster issueBoeing's Starliner capsule is making a delayed docking attempt with the International Space Station on Thursday, after NASA called off an initial approach.
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