Astronauts face crisis during Boeing Starliner docking attempt

On June 5, 2024, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams faced a critical situation during the docking of Boeing Starliner to the International Space Station (ISS). As the spacecraft approached the ISS, it unexpectedly lost multiple thrusters, which are crucial for maintaining controlled flight. The loss of the first thruster was alarming, but as the spacecraft continued its approach, a second thruster failed, leading to serious concerns about the ability to successfully dock. Typically, losing thrusters would trigger an abort of the mission for safety, but the situation became even more precarious as a third thruster was also lost during the attempt. Despite these challenges, Wilmore expressed a sense of determination to keep control over the spacecraft, stating that he could still manage on the other axes of motion, even in such an unstable scenario. At one point, both astronauts communicated non-verbally about the gravity of the situation, revealing their mutual desire to dock at the station right in front of them. They worried about potential loss of communication with NASA Mission Control, adding to their stress and uncertainty. Ultimately, after struggling with the thruster issues, NASA Mission Control took control of the Starliner for its final approach to the ISS, successfully completing the docking under challenging conditions. This incident highlighted the risks associated with space travel and the complex nature of docking spacecraft in real-time scenarios. After the successful mission, the Boeing Starliner returned to Earth on September 7, 2024, but this time it was uncrewed to minimize risks associated with the earlier troubles faced during docking. The event has led to further discussions in the aerospace industry about the reliability of spacecraft and the importance of contingency plans during critical phases of missions.