Starliner docks to International Space Station

By Alimat Aliyeva

Boeing's first manned Starliner spacecraft with astronauts (61-year-old Butch Wilmore and 58-year-old Sunny Williams) on board successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS), Azernews reports.

The docking maneuver ended 80 minutes later than planned, referring to a message from the US National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) on the social network "X". The delay was caused by problems with the propulsion system of the space capsule. A NASA commentator on the air noted: "There were two more leaks after the launch. At some point, five of the 28 correction tips used for the maneuver failed. But later, four of the five engines started working again, which made it possible to successfully approach the ISS."

On the third attempt, Boeing Corporation sent the Starliner spacecraft with two American astronauts on board to the ISS. On June 5, the spacecraft was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, using an Atlas V United Launch Alliance launch vehicle.

The astronauts will stay at the station for about a week. NASA says that the purpose of the launch is to certify the spacecraft for regular and safe flights to the station and back to Earth.

The first attempt to launch a Starliner into space took place on May 6, the second on June 1. Both of them were cancelled due to technical problems. This spacecraft has been developed by Boeing since 2014 as part of a public-private partnership and under contract with NASA.