Spacewalk opens door for Boeing, SpaceX crews

MELBOURNE, Fla. — Astronauts ventured out Friday to install a ring on the International Space Station to receive astronauts in commercial spaceships expected to launch from Florida within the next 18 months.

Expedition 48 commander Jeff Williams and flight engineer Kate Rubins hooked up the docking port in just a few hours. The port is slated for Boeing and SpaceX capsules now being developed under NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

Friday's success paved the way for future spaceships.

"Thanks for your help in getting the front door on the space station," Mission Control radioed.

Four NASA astronauts assigned to train for the first test flights of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon will be relieved to see the ring, formally called International Docking Adapter, in place.

“Without the docking adapter, we’re not going to get any of these vehicles on board station,” said Bob Behnken, one of four potential NASA test pilots, during a recent visit to Kennedy Space Center. “So that will be a really nice milestone to have behind us.”

SpaceX is targeting a test flight a year from now, and Boeing in February 2018.

The $26 million docking ring built by Boeing arrived at the station in the trunk of an unmanned SpaceX Dragon cargo ship launched July 18 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.