Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft has had a rough couple years, but this afternoon it successfully docked with the International Space Station, its first successful mission to orbit. Despite a few hiccups, this launch went more or less as planned, and if the craft can return to Earth safely that will make this a huge accomplishment for the beleaguered aerospace company.
Without recapping all the troubles the Starliner has had, let it suffice to say that delays upon delays led some to question whether this capsule would ever make it to orbit, to say nothing of making regular trips with crew aboard.
But naysayers may have to hold their tongues, at least for a week or two, after the Starliner’s successful launch and orbital insertion yesterday, and what appeared to be a textbook docking procedure this afternoon. Check out this great shot of the capsule during its “inbound flyaround”:
That’s not to say there were no problems whatsoever. Two orbital maneuvering and attitude …
