Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft landed on Earth on Saturday morning, two test pilots will remain in space until next year NASA’s concerns that it was too risky for them to return.
The Starliner parachuted to the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico six hours after departing the International Space Station, and landed at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time.
“I am extremely proud of the work our collective team accomplished throughout this flight test, and we are pleased to see Starliner return safely,” Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for the Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said in a statement.
“Although it was necessary to return the spacecraft without a crew, NASA and Boeing learned a great deal about Starliner in the most demanding environment possible,” he added. “NASA looks forward to continuing to work closely with the Boeing team to certify Starliner for crew rotation missions to the space station.”
Boeing Starliner detaches from space station, returns to Earth unmanned with crew
The empty Boeing Starliner capsule landed at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico after undocking from the International Space Station. (NASA via AP)
It follows the launch of Boeing’s long-delayed crew debut in June and a mission plagued by thruster failures and helium leaks. The return of Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams was in question for months as engineers struggled to understand what went wrong with the spacecraft.
Boeing claimed after extensive testing that the Starliner was safe to bring the crew back home, but NASA disagreed and instead asked SpaceX to get them back to Earth. The SpaceX spacecraft won’t launch until later this month, so they’ll be in space until February.
Wilmore and Williams were initially supposed to fly the Starliner back to Earth by mid-June, a week after launch. However, the flight back to Earth was delayed. space Station They encountered thruster problems and a lack of helium, leading NASA to decide it would be too risky to bring them back on the Starliner.
After receiving new software updates, the fully automated capsule departed with the crew’s blue spacesuits and some old station equipment.
The Starliner crew demonstration culminated a series of delays and setbacks for the spacecraft.
After the space shuttle was retired more than a decade ago, NASA hired Boeing and SpaceX to provide orbital taxi service. But Boeing encountered a number of problems during its first uncrewed test flight in 2019, so it had to try again. A repeat test three years later revealed even more problems, and the necessary repairs cost more than $1 billion to complete.
The unmanned Boeing Starliner capsule activates its thrusters as it pulls away from the International Space Station on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. (NASA via AP)
SpaceX’s crew ferry flight later this month will be the 10th for NASA since 2020. The Dragon capsule will launch on a half-year expedition with just two astronauts, as two seats are needed to get Wilmore and Williams back home.
Even before its early June launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, Starliner’s propulsion system was leaking helium. The leak was small and thought to be isolated, but four more leaks were found after the flight. Five thrusters then failed, and four of them were fixed, but these problems have left NASA concerned about whether further malfunctions could cause problems with the capsule’s descent from orbit.
Boeing conducted numerous thruster tests in space and on the ground over the summer and believed its spacecraft could safely return astronauts. However, NASA remained skeptical about the thruster issues and tasked SpaceX with their return.
Flight controllers conducted more test firings of the capsule’s thrusters after undocking, one of which failed to ignite. Engineers believe the more the thrusters are fired, the hotter they get, causing protective seals to swell and impede the flow of propellant. None of the parts will be able to be examined, as the part holding the thrusters was discarded just before reentry.
NASA astronaut says Starliner crew may vary exercise routines during extended stay on ISS
The unmanned Boeing Starliner capsule undocks as it moves away from the International Space Station on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. (NASA via AP)
Starliner will be taken back NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
“I want to commend the work done by the Starliner teams to ensure a successful and safe undocking, deorbit, re-entry, and landing,” Mark Nappe, vice president and program manager for Boeing’s Commercial Crew Program, said in a statement. “We will review the data and determine next steps for the program.”
Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, said earlier this week that the space agency still wants the two competing U.S. companies to take turns flying astronauts to space. NASA hopes SpaceX and Boeing could take turns launching crews until the space station is abandoned in 2030 ahead of a fiery re-entry.
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“We are very excited to bring Starliner back safely. This was an important test flight for NASA, helping us prepare for future missions on the Starliner system,” Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, said in a statement after Starliner returned to Earth. “There were many valuable lessons learned that will enable our long-term success. I want to commend the entire team for their hard work and dedication over the last three months.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
