Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams and her colleague Butch Wilmore have successfully tested a unique manual piloting capability of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on their way to the International Space Station (ISS). This mission marks Williams’ third spaceflight and the first crewed mission for the Starliner spacecraft, dubbed Calypso.
Williams, 58, serving as the pilot, and Wilmore, 61, the mission commander, performed a series of manual piloting demonstrations during the 25-hour flight. Although Starliner is designed to be autonomous, the crew used the hand controller for several maneuvers, including pointing the spacecraft’s nose toward Earth to align the communications antenna and adjusting the solar array for battery charging.
The crew also demonstrated their ability to manually navigate using the star trackers in the VESTA system and conducted orbital adjustments to simulate breaking away from the space station orbit. Additionally, they practiced orienting the spacecraft for re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere and confirmed they could manually charge the batteries if needed.
Starliner is on its way — congratulations to the team.
Today’s launch marks an important milestone for the future of human spaceflight. Butch and Suni, you represent America’s leadership into the cosmos and make us proud. Safe travels on your mission. https://t.co/Jo9Br5EwEo
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) June 6, 2024
This mission is critical for Boeing, which has faced several delays and technical issues with the Starliner development. The spacecraft’s first uncrewed test flight in 2019 was marred by software errors, necessitating a second test in 2022. Boeing’s successful crew flight test is a significant step toward fulfilling NASA’s commercial crew program goals.
Boeing developed Starliner in response to NASA’s request for commercial crew transport options following the retirement of the Space Shuttle program in 2011. The agency’s shift to purchasing services from commercial providers aimed to save money for other ambitious projects, including the return of humans to the Moon. While SpaceX has already completed its operational missions, Boeing’s successful crew flight test marks a milestone in its journey to provide regular crewed missions to the ISS.
Commander Wilmore expressed gratitude to all those who made the mission possible, acknowledging the challenges faced. Williams added her enthusiasm, saying, “Go ‘Calypso’! Take us to space and back,” underscoring the historic nature of their mission.
