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Boeing (NYSE:BA) this month reached an important milestone as its Starliner spacecraft carried two astronauts to the International Space Station, and more objectives are next as the aerospace company vies with Elon Musk’s SpaceX (SPACE) to offer routine missions to space.
Photo: Boeing
The CST-100 Starliner capsule on Thursday docked with the space station, a key demonstration of the craft’s reliability. The next step will be bringing people back to Earth safely, Patricia Sanders, who until February was the longtime chair of NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, said to Reuters.
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams may return to Earth as soon as June 14 or prolong their time in orbit to 45 days, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
The Starliner had technical problems on its 24-hour journey to the space station, whose orbit is about 240 miles from Earth. The spacecraft overcame four helium leaks and the failure of five thrusters that delayed its docking with the ISS.
Those difficulties didn’t jeopardize astronaut safety, but do present more hurdles for Boeing (BA) and NASA to overcome if the Starliner is to handle future crewed missions.
Boeing (BA) previously said it began redesigning valves on Starliner’s propulsion system after the company and NASA identified a defect two years ago. The company has a $5.5 million contract with NASA to study a possible new design for the spacecraft’s batteries, Reuters reported, citing government records.