Boeing Starliner docks on ISS after new leaks, thruster issues caused delay

Boeing’s Starliner space capsule successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday afternoon after being delayed by new leaks and thruster issues earlier in the day. NASA announced.

The Starliner spacecraft landed in the southern Indian Ocean at 1:34 p.m. EDT on Thursday, NASA’s Commercial Crew announced. Viewed on social media platform XAn automated system guided the craft to the space station’s forward port. Added by NASA.

The space capsule was originally scheduled to dock at about 12:15 p.m. EDT, but two more leaks developed, the Associated Press reported.

Starliner already experienced a helium leak during its launch into space on Wednesday after being postponed twice in May. Boeing and NASA crew members thought the leak was manageable and the risk of further leaks was low, but the problem emerged on Thursday, The Associated Press reported.

Four of the capsule’s 28 thrusters were also shut down, according to reports, and two of them were restarted. The news came hours after Boeing spokesman Jim May said the leak did not pose a safety issue and that the capsule had enough helium reserves to replace any lost.

It was not immediately known whether the thruster problem was related to the earlier leak, according to breaking news.

Thursday’s problems prompted Mission Control to advise crews not to come within 650 feet of the ISS, known as the “no go” zone. Scheduled for docking at 12:15 p.m. EDT At least an hour.

Wednesday’s launch marked a rare victory for Boeing, which has come under intense scrutiny for the safety of its planes for months after a Boeing 737 Max exploded in mid-air earlier this year.

Boeing has been working on Starliner for more than a decade in hopes of providing NASA with another U.S. spacecraft capable of ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station.

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft carried astronauts for the first time in 2020. It was also built under NASA’s jurisdiction.

SpaceX has completed at least nine manned missions, while Boeing has only completed two unmanned missions to date. NASA has provided Boeing with $4 billion and SpaceX with $2.6 billion for development.

The Associated Press contributed.