Boeing Starliner’s first astronaut mission concluded on Friday night with an empty capsule landing on Earth, while test pilots Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will remain in space until next year, as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration deemed their return “too risky” at this time.
After spending six hours departing the International Space Station, the Starliner capsule descended on autopilot through the desert darkness, parachuting into New Mexico’s White Sands Missile Range.
“@BoeingSpace’s #Starliner touched down safely in White Sands Space Harbor, New Mexico, at 12:01am ET Sept. 7, concluding the Crew Flight Test. Recovery teams are now beginning work to retrieve Starliner for return to facilities at @NASAKennedy,” NASA announced on X.
In a video shared by the NASA, the gumdrop-shaped capsule is seen landing gently at the White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, its descent slowed by parachutes and cushioned by airbags, after leaving the ISS about six hours earlier.
What next for astronauts Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore?
The Starliner mission has captured international attention after technical problems forced NASA to extend the stay of astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams. On August 24, NASA determined it was “too risky” to bring the astronauts back to Earth in the Boeing vehicle due to persistent issues with the capsule’s thrusters, which are small engines used for manoeuvring in space.
Wilmore and Williams were initially expected to return to Earth in Starliner by mid-June, a week after their launch. However, their mission was plagued by a series of thruster malfunctions and helium loss, prompting NASA to deem it unsafe to use Starliner for their return.
This mission marked the first time astronauts flew aboard Starliner as part of a critical test to ensure the capsule’s safety for regular crewed missions to the International Space Station. While hopes were high, given Starliner’s success in two prior uncrewed tests, NASA now plans a thorough review of the mission’s performance before determining the next steps.
Due to the unexpected thruster failures and helium leaks, NASA ultimately opted to bring Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams back aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon, although their return will be delayed until February 2025.
(With inputs from agencies)