Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has left the International Space Station (ISS) and is on its way back to Earth. However, its scheduled return does not include the two astronauts who initially traveled to the ISS in the capsule, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, due to technical issues. The capsule is expected to land in the New Mexico desert after a six-hour flight, marking another chapter in the troubled history of Boeing’s astronaut transportation system.
Starliner’s uncrewed return
On Friday, Boeing’s spring-powered Starliner undocked from the ISS and began its return to Earth. The capsule was supposed to carry Williams and Wilmore back after their mission, but technical glitches, including thruster failures and helium leaks, led NASA to deem the return flight too risky for human transport. As a result, Starliner is making its return trip without astronauts on board, leaving behind empty seats and unused blue spacesuits.
Speaking to Boeing’s Mission Control Center, Williams said goodbye to the spacecraft with the words, “Bring it back to Earth. Good luck,” as the Starliner began its descent.
Technical problems prevented the crew from returning
Williams and Wilmore had originally planned to return to Earth in June, after a scheduled eight-day mission in which Starliner would have brought them back safely. However, shortly after the June 5 launch, the mission was marred by several problems. Small helium leaks were discovered before launch but were deemed manageable. However, during the mission, five thrusters failed, raising concerns that further failures could jeopardize a safe reentry.
Although Boeing conducted numerous tests, both in space and on the ground, throughout the summer to address the thruster issues, NASA ultimately decided it was too dangerous to bring astronauts back on the Starliner.
SpaceX will bring astronauts home in 2025
Now that Boeing’s capsule is out of service, NASA has tasked SpaceX with returning Williams and Wilmore to Earth. The duo, who are now full-time members of the ISS crew, are expected to return via SpaceX’s Dragon capsule in late February 2025. This means their original eight-day mission has now been extended to more than eight months in space.
SpaceX’s upcoming flight will mark its 10th crewed mission for NASA since 2020. The Dragon capsule will launch two astronauts for a half-year expedition, with two additional seats reserved for Wilmore and Williams for their return trip.
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