Following these tests, the crew attempted to sleep for several hours ahead of their all-important approach and docking with the International Space Station on the flight’s second day. More so even than launch or landing, the most challenging part of this mission, which would stress Starliner’s handling capabilities as well as its navigation system, would come as it approached the orbiting laboratory.
Williams: “The night that we spent there in the spacecraft, it was a little chilly. We had traded off some of our clothes to bring up some equipment up to the space station. So, I had this small T-shirt thing, long-sleeve T-shirt, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m cold.’ Butch is like, ‘I’m cold, too.’ So, we ended up actually putting our boots on, and then I put my spacesuit on. And then he’s like, maybe I want mine too. So, we both actually got in our spacesuits. It might just be because there were two people in there.”
Starliner was designed to fly four people to the International Space Station for six-month stays in orbit. But for this initial test flight, there were just two people, which meant less body heat. Wilmore estimated that it was about 50° Fahrenheit in the cabin.
Wilmore: “It was definitely low 50s, if not cooler. When you’re hustling and bustling, and doing things, all the tests we were doing after launch, we didn’t notice it until we slowed down. We purposely didn’t take sleeping bags. I was just going to bungee myself to the bulkhead. I had a sweatshirt and some sweatpants, and I thought, I’m going to be fine. No, it was frigid. And I even got inside my space suit, put the boots on and everything, gloves, the whole thing. And it was still cold.”
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