New Delhi: The Boeing Starliner, carrying Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams and her crewmate Butch Wilmore, successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday. At 59 years old, Williams has made history as the first woman to pilot and test a new crewed spacecraft on its maiden mission.
Having previously taken an idol of Lord Ganesh and the Bhagavad Gita to space, Ms. Williams has returned to the ISS for her third journey.
Upon her arrival at the space station, she celebrated by performing a brief dance and warmly embracing the seven other astronauts aboard the ISS.
Ms. Williams and Mr. Wilmore were greeted with the ringing of a bell, a time-honored tradition on the International Space Station (ISS).
Hugs all around! The Expedition 71 crew greets Butch Wilmore and @Astro_Suni aboard @Space_Station after #Starliner docked at 1:34 p.m. ET on June 6. pic.twitter.com/wQZAYy2LGH
— Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) June 6, 2024
“That’s the way to get things going,” Sunita Williams said while speaking about her “dance party”.
Calling her crewmembers “another family”, she thanked them for “such a great welcome”.
Listen to the @Space_Station crew’s remarks welcoming #Starliner Crew Flight Test commander Butch Wilmore and pilot @Astro_Suni to ISS after entering today at 3:45 p.m. ET. pic.twitter.com/2TGVNQW89r
— Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) June 6, 2024
Ms. Williams and Mr. Wilmore are the pioneering crew to fly aboard the Starliner.
They successfully docked the Boeing spacecraft with the ISS approximately 26 hours after launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
During their journey to the ISS, the crew conducted several tests, including the first-ever manual flight of the Starliner in space. They are set to spend roughly a week aboard the ISS, assisting with various tests and conducting scientific experiments.
Upon their return, they are scheduled to land the Starliner on land, rather than performing a traditional sea landing.
NASA has long sought an alternative to the SpaceX Crew Dragon for astronaut transportation, and the Boeing Starliner is emerging as a viable option under the commercial crew program.
