NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams made history on June 10, 2023, as they safely docked at the International Space Station (ISS) aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. The event marked a significant milestone in NASA's Commercial Crew Program, which aims to deliver safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the ISS from American private industry.
The astronauts participated in two Earth-to-space calls on Monday, June 10. The first call was with NASA leaders at 1 p.m. EDT, including Administrator Bill Nelson, Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, Associate Administrator Jim Free, and Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche. Coverage of the call streamed live on NASA TV and the agency's website.
The second call was with White House officials at 2:40 p.m., moderated by Chirag Parikh, deputy assistant to President Joe Biden and executive secretary for the White House National Space Council. Coverage of this call also streamed live on NASA TV and the agency's website.
Williams and Wilmore launched at 10:52 a.m. on June 5 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket for NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test mission. They docked to the orbiting laboratory at 1:34 p.m., June 6, and will remain for a week-long stay, testing Starliner and its subsystems as part of the spacecraft's certification for rotational missions.
The Commercial Crew Program is an essential step in NASA's goal of safe space exploration, including future missions to the Moon under Artemis and ultimately, to Mars. For more information about the mission, visit www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew.
Despite encountering mid-flight malfunctions during their journey to the ISS, including helium leaks and malfunctioning control thrusters, Williams and Wilmore successfully reached their destination with NASA's support.
Boeing Starliner's arrival at the ISS follows SpaceX's Starship mission milestones earlier in the week. Both missions represent significant advancements in space travel technology.