In a video provided by NASA, the unmanned Boeing Starliner capsule undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday, September 6, 2024, significantly later than its original schedule. Unlike its initial mission in early June, where it carried astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the ISS, the capsule returned empty to Earth. Wilmore and Williams will stay on the ISS until February, returning via SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.
The Starliner separated from the ISS at 6:04 p.m. ET and landed at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico at 12:01 a.m. ET, Saturday. NASA adjusted the undocking procedure due to the absence of astronauts to safeguard the ISS and handle manual control if needed.
“This mission, extended by three months more than planned due to propulsion issues, ended up providing additional valuable data,” NASA officials explained. Despite Boeing’s assurances of the spacecraft’s safety, NASA chose to recall the Starliner empty to better investigate persisting technical challenges.
Initially set for nine days, the Starliner’s stay extended to three months as Boeing addressed its thruster issues. This test, intended as a crucial step for Boeing in NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, instead delayed Boeing’s contributions and incurred over $1.5 billion in losses, potentially jeopardizing its future in the program. As of late August, NASA decided to bring the Starliner back empty to delve deeper into the propulsion problems.
Boeing’s setbacks contrast with the agency’s vision of alternating missions between Starliner and SpaceX’s Dragon, highlighting the challenges faced by NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Original Story https://www.cnbc.com/2024/09/06/boeing-starliner-leaves-iss-crew-flight-test.html
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