Starliner’s Epic Return: Boeing’s First Crewed Capsule Lands Successfully.
Boeing’s inaugural crewed Starliner capsule completed its mission with a departure from the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday, September 6, and is now end route to a desert landing in New Mexico. The uncrewed spacecraft undocked from the ISS at 6:04 p.m. EDT (2204 GMT), while the two spacecraft were positioned 260 miles above central China. The Starliner is expected to touch down at White Sands Space Harbor at approximately 12 a.m. EDT (0400 GMT) on Saturday, September 7. NASA will broadcast the landing live, starting at 10:50 p.m. EDT (0250 GMT). For continuous updates on the mission, check NASA’s Boeing Starliner coverage.
NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, who launched aboard the Starliner with crewmate Butch Wilmore on June 5, communicated with Mission Control as the spacecraft departed. “She’s on her way home. Congratulations to the undocking team,” Williams said from the ISS. Due to concerns with the spacecraft’s thrusters, NASA decided to return the Starliner without its crew, despite the thrusters performing correctly during the undocking process.
The Crew Flight Test (CFT) of the Starliner, marking its first human spaceflight, launched on June 5 and docked with the ISS the following day. Initial docking attempts were canceled due to technical issues, including helium leaks and thruster malfunctions. Although CFT was initially planned for about ten days, it was extended to approximately three months to allow for comprehensive testing of the spacecraft’s systems.
Ultimately, NASA deemed it too risky to return the astronauts on the Starliner, so they will instead return to Earth on a SpaceX Crew Dragon in February 2025. The Starliner will land uncrewed.
As the Starliner, named Calypso by its crew, maneuvered away from the ISS, it executed a series of thruster firings to safely distance itself from the station. Over the next several hours, the spacecraft will perform additional thruster tests and conduct a final deorbit burn at 11:17 p.m. EDT (0317 GMT) to prepare for its midnight landing.
Before the undocking, Williams encouraged Mission Control, “It is time to bring Calypso home. You guys got this. We have your back, and you’ve got this. Bring her back to Earth.”
Both SpaceX and Boeing secured multibillion-dollar contracts with NASA in 2014 to develop crewed spacecraft, aimed at replacing the retired space shuttle. Although the initial flights were expected to start in 2017, delays pushed SpaceX’s first crewed flight to 2020 and Starliner’s to 2024.
Challenges in aerospace development, particularly with new technologies, have led to shifts in mission timelines. The latest issues with Starliner’s propulsion system will be reviewed to assess their impact on certification. The Starliner’s first uncrewed test flight in 2019, which failed to reach the ISS, and subsequent tests, including a second uncrewed mission in 2022, revealed several issues. These were addressed in preparation for CFT, which also faced delays due to parachute and wiring problems.
The CFT mission experienced delays due to a valve issue with the launch rocket, followed by a helium leak in one of the spacecraft’s thrusters. Although the leak did not pose an immediate threat, it highlighted a design vulnerability affecting re-entry modes. After modifying the entry procedures based on ground simulations, the Starliner finally launched successfully on June 5, following previous scrubs due to technical issues.
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