A Starliner spacecraft has already visited the International Space Station once during an uncrewed mission, relying solely on its onboard computers for navigation. The vehicle successfully survived reentry twice, showcasing its capabilities in autonomous operations.
During a recent test flight in 2022, Starliner demonstrated a unique maneuver by backing away from the ISS, ascending over the space station, and then performing a departure burn to return below the orbiting laboratory. This maneuver was designed to allow the spacecraft to inspect the exterior of the aging ISS, a capability that NASA had specifically requested Boeing to incorporate into Starliner's operations.
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