After nearly two months, Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is finally preparing to return to Earth. The spacecraft, which launched on June 5 with astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore aboard, experienced helium leaks and multiple thruster failures, leaving the duo stranded on the International Space Station (ISS).
Days after NASA announced that the stranded astronauts would return on the SpaceX Crew Dragon, the agency confirmed on Thursday evening that Starliner is scheduled to depart the ISS on September 6, weather permitting and assuming no technical issues arise.
If everything goes according to plan, the capsule will undock at 6:04 PM EDT (around 3:30 AM IST) on September 6, with a parachute-assisted landing expected approximately six hours later at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.
After launching on June 5, Starliner successfully docked with the ISS a day later on its first-ever crewed mission. However, the docking was preceded by helium leaks and the failure of five out of its 28 thrusters during the journey to the orbiting lab. The mission, known as the Crew Flight Test (CFT), was initially planned to last around 10 days. However, due to the technical issues, NASA and Boeing extended the spacecraft’s stay in orbit multiple times to thoroughly examine the thruster problem and ensure it wouldn’t impact the capsule’s safe return.
Following reports that Williams and Wilmore were stranded on the ISS, concerns arose about their stay, health, and the potential risks of returning on the Starliner. However, on August 25, NASA held a press conference to officially announce that the duo would return early next year aboard Elon Musk’s SpaceX Crew Dragon.
NASA officials assured that both astronauts are safe and prepared for an extended stay on the ISS. They mentioned that Williams and Wilmore will use their extra time aboard the station to conduct scientific experiments alongside the seven other astronauts. The SpaceX Crew Dragon is scheduled to launch next month as part of a routine astronaut rotation mission and is expected to return in February 2025 with Williams and Wilmore on board. The Crew Dragon has four seats, with two reserved for Wilmore and Williams.
Amidst all this, NASA’s decision to opt for Boeing’s rival, SpaceX, for the astronauts’ return is one of its most significant choices. Boeing had been hopeful that the Starliner mission would revive its troubled program after years of development challenges and budget overruns.
