Boeing’s Starliner capsule successfully returned to Earth over the weekend, a pivotal moment in a hurricane-hit mission. Technical Failures More delays. After departing the International Space Station six hours earlier, the spacecraft parachuted to a landing on autopilot in the desert darkness at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The landing was smooth, but what followed was months of drama, starting with a launch in June that was supposed to take place in eight days but turned into a much longer mission because of persistent thruster malfunctions and helium leaks.
The mission, which NASA Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams ISS In June, Boeing’s long-awaited crew launch was intended for launch. However, after a series of malfunctions on the Starliner, NASA deemed the capsule too risky for the return of astronauts, and opted to bring them back home. SpaceX Instead, the Crew Dragon capsule will be launched into space in 2025. This decision meant that astronauts would remain on the ISS until February, which is about eight months longer than originally scheduled.
Despite the technical setbacks, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, Steve Stich, praised the performance of the uncrewed capsule, and described the return as a “bullseye landing”. Cameras on the ISS and NASA aircraft captured the Starliner’s descent, which prompted applause from the public before it descended into the night sky. However, the return was plagued with further problems, as NASA later confirmed that another thruster had malfunctioned during re-entry, and there was a brief blackout in the guidance system.
“I think we made the right decision not to put Butch and Suni on the plane,” Stich said during a news conference, adding, “We are all happy with the successful landing. But there is still a feeling inside all of us that we wish it had gone exactly as we had planned.”
The capsule’s return came after extensive testing by Boeing, which argued that the Starliner was safe to return astronauts home. However, NASA was not convinced, ultimately deciding to delay their return and use SpaceX instead. Addressing the decision, Stich explained that if NASA had then known what it saw during the uncrewed landing, their initial decision would have been easier. “We didn’t have that level of certainty,” Stich said, reiterating that the mission was, after all, “a test flight.”
NASA officials have maintained their commitment to safety as the organization’s “core value and North Star.” “Space flight is risky, even when it is at its safest and most routine. A test flight, by nature, is neither safe, nor routine. The decision to keep Butch and Suni at the International Space Station and return Boeing’s Starliner without a crew is a result of our commitment to safety,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in August.
Ken Bowersox of NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate also emphasized that although it was necessary to bring the spacecraft back without a crew, NASA and Boeing gained invaluable information from this mission. He said, “NASA and Boeing learned a lot about Starliner in the most extreme environment.”
Starliner’s journey has been fraught with delays and challenges. NASA hired Boeing and SpaceX to fly the spacecraft after the space shuttle was retired more than a decade ago. Crew transport to the ISS. However, Boeing has suffered a number of setbacks, including a failed test flight in 2019 that had to be repeated in 2022 after more flaws were found, leading to a repair bill of over $1 billion.
On this mission, too, Starliner encountered difficulties soon after launch. Even before reaching space, the spacecraft experienced a helium leak, and five thrusters failed during the journey to the ISS. Although most of the thrusters were recovered, the malfunctions raised concerns that further problems could emerge during the capsule’s descent from orbit.
Although Boeing conducted further tests over the summer, NASA remained uneasy with the thruster issues and chose SpaceX’s Crew Dragon as the safer option for Wilmore and Williams’ return.
Despite the successful landing, Boeing’s future with Starliner remains uncertain. Some industry experts, including Bank of America aerospace and defense analyst Ron Epstein, have speculated that Boeing may reconsider its involvement in manned space flight due to the capsule’s history of delays and cost overruns. “We wouldn’t be surprised if Boeing sells the manned space flight business,” Epstein said.
While the Starliner was taken back to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for analysis, Stich said it was still too early to determine when the next crewed flight for the capsule would be. “It will take some time to determine the path forward,” he said.
Meanwhile, Wilmore and Williams are expected to hold a press conference from the ISS on September 13.
The mission, which NASA Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams ISS In June, Boeing’s long-awaited crew launch was intended for launch. However, after a series of malfunctions on the Starliner, NASA deemed the capsule too risky for the return of astronauts, and opted to bring them back home. SpaceX Instead, the Crew Dragon capsule will be launched into space in 2025. This decision meant that astronauts would remain on the ISS until February, which is about eight months longer than originally scheduled.
Despite the technical setbacks, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, Steve Stich, praised the performance of the uncrewed capsule, and described the return as a “bullseye landing”. Cameras on the ISS and NASA aircraft captured the Starliner’s descent, which prompted applause from the public before it descended into the night sky. However, the return was plagued with further problems, as NASA later confirmed that another thruster had malfunctioned during re-entry, and there was a brief blackout in the guidance system.
“I think we made the right decision not to put Butch and Suni on the plane,” Stich said during a news conference, adding, “We are all happy with the successful landing. But there is still a feeling inside all of us that we wish it had gone exactly as we had planned.”
The capsule’s return came after extensive testing by Boeing, which argued that the Starliner was safe to return astronauts home. However, NASA was not convinced, ultimately deciding to delay their return and use SpaceX instead. Addressing the decision, Stich explained that if NASA had then known what it saw during the uncrewed landing, their initial decision would have been easier. “We didn’t have that level of certainty,” Stich said, reiterating that the mission was, after all, “a test flight.”
NASA officials have maintained their commitment to safety as the organization’s “core value and North Star.” “Space flight is risky, even when it is at its safest and most routine. A test flight, by nature, is neither safe, nor routine. The decision to keep Butch and Suni at the International Space Station and return Boeing’s Starliner without a crew is a result of our commitment to safety,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in August.
Ken Bowersox of NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate also emphasized that although it was necessary to bring the spacecraft back without a crew, NASA and Boeing gained invaluable information from this mission. He said, “NASA and Boeing learned a lot about Starliner in the most extreme environment.”
Starliner’s journey has been fraught with delays and challenges. NASA hired Boeing and SpaceX to fly the spacecraft after the space shuttle was retired more than a decade ago. Crew transport to the ISS. However, Boeing has suffered a number of setbacks, including a failed test flight in 2019 that had to be repeated in 2022 after more flaws were found, leading to a repair bill of over $1 billion.
On this mission, too, Starliner encountered difficulties soon after launch. Even before reaching space, the spacecraft experienced a helium leak, and five thrusters failed during the journey to the ISS. Although most of the thrusters were recovered, the malfunctions raised concerns that further problems could emerge during the capsule’s descent from orbit.
Although Boeing conducted further tests over the summer, NASA remained uneasy with the thruster issues and chose SpaceX’s Crew Dragon as the safer option for Wilmore and Williams’ return.
Despite the successful landing, Boeing’s future with Starliner remains uncertain. Some industry experts, including Bank of America aerospace and defense analyst Ron Epstein, have speculated that Boeing may reconsider its involvement in manned space flight due to the capsule’s history of delays and cost overruns. “We wouldn’t be surprised if Boeing sells the manned space flight business,” Epstein said.
While the Starliner was taken back to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for analysis, Stich said it was still too early to determine when the next crewed flight for the capsule would be. “It will take some time to determine the path forward,” he said.
Meanwhile, Wilmore and Williams are expected to hold a press conference from the ISS on September 13.
