CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (NEWSnet/AP) — Boeing’s new capsule arrived at the International Space Station on Thursday.

The arrival was delayed by last-minute thruster trouble that almost derailed the docking for this first test flight with astronauts.

The 260-mile-high linkup over the Indian Ocean culminated more than a day of continuing drama for Boeing’s astronaut flight debut.

The Starliner capsule already had one small helium leak when it launched into orbit with two NASA astronauts Wednesday.

Boeing and NASA managers were confident they could manage the propulsion system despite the problem and that more leaks were unlikely. But just hours into the flight, two more leaks popped up.

Later, four of the capsule’s 28 thrusters went down. NASA test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams managed to restart three of them, providing enough safety margin to proceed. By then, Starliner had passed up the first docking opportunity and circled the world for an extra hour alongside the station before moving in.

It was not immediately known whether the thrusters problems were related to the earlier leaks.

Boeing plans to keep Starliner at the space station for at least eight days before guiding it to a landing in the western U.S.

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