Two NASA astronauts aboard Boeing's Starliner capsule on the first manned flight encountered some problems Thursday as they approached the International Space Station.
The spacecraft was scheduled to dock at the orbital outpost at 12:15 p.m. ET, but problems with five of the 28 thrusters at the bottom of the Starliner capsule scuttled that attempt.
NASA said it is now targeting a docking time of 1:33 p.m. ET.
Flight controllers continue to monitor problems with the capsule's reaction control thrusters, which are used to make precise changes to the spacecraft's trajectory as it approaches the space station. Various tests recovered all but one thruster, and mission managers gave astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams the go-ahead to proceed with the docking attempt.
The Starliner capsule is designed to dock autonomously with the space station, but Willmore and Williams can take manual control if necessary.
The Boeing Starliner spacecraft is more than 24 hours into its long-awaited inaugural crewed test flight to the space station. The capsule lifted off aboard an Atlas V rocket on Wednesday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The test flight is designed to prove that the capsule can safely transport NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station. If NASA is successful, it could allow Boeing to conduct regular flights to the space station for the agency.
This is a developing story. . Please check back for updates
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