Boeing Starliner Update: Return to Earth Attempt—Without Astronauts

Boeing’s Starliner capsule is set for a critical return to Earth this week, but without the astronauts it was designed to bring home.

NASA announced on Wednesday that everything is on track for the Starliner to undock from the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday evening.

The fully automated capsule will aim to touch down at New Mexico’s White Sands Missile Range approximately six hours after undocking.

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who flew up to the ISS on the Starliner, will stay behind on the orbiting lab.

This mission comes after months of delays and technical problems that have plagued the Starliner program.

NASA’s capsule was initially supposed to complete a weeklong test flight earlier this year.

Thruster troubles and helium leaks led the team in charge to decide it was too risky to bring the astronauts back on this flight.

“It’s been a journey to get here, and we’re excited to have Starliner come home,” said Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager.

Wilmore and Williams—who made headlines last month when their eight-day mission was forced into an eight-month one—are now considered full-time crew members.

Their time is spent assisting with experiments and maintenance alongside the seven other astronauts aboard the ISS.

The duo will eventually return to Earth in February on a SpaceX Dragon capsule.

Boeing and Elon Musk-owned SpaceX have faced criticism after NASA awarded them multibillion-dollar contracts to supply missions like this one.

Following last month’s news, Boeing said it continued to focus “on the safety of the crew and spacecraft.”

“We are executing the mission as determined by NASA, and we are preparing for a safe and successful un-crewed return.”

To make room for the stranded astronauts on SpaceX’s next mission, NASA have decided to launch the Dragon capsule with only two astronauts instead of the usual four.

A reduced crew will allow SpaceX to fulfill its mission without overcrowding the ISS.

The Starliner’s challenges are not new. Boeing’s first test flight in 2019 was marred by software errors that prevented the capsule from reaching the ISS.

After three years, the mission was repeated with a new hosting of issues surfaced.

Over $1 billion in repairs and modifications were carried out as a result.

NASA have announced a news conference to discuss their plans, scheduled for 12:03 a.m. ET on Saturday, September 7.

The stakes for Boeing are high. NASA hired Boeing and SpaceX a decade ago to ferry astronauts to and from the ISS after the retirement of its space shuttle program.

While SpaceX successfully launched its first crew in 2020 and has since completed nine crewed missions for NASA, Boeing has struggled to keep up.

The current mission is a crucial test for Boeing, as the company seeks to prove that the Starliner can safely and reliably transport astronauts.

NASA’s decision to leave the astronauts aboard the ISS reflects the agency’s cautious approach, given historical precedent.

As Boeing prepares for the capsule’s return, the aerospace giant is undoubtedly hoping that this mission marks a turning point in the Starliner’s problematic progress.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press