NASA has announced that Boeing’s Starliner capsule, which is currently docked at the International Space Station (ISS), will return to Earth without astronauts on board. The undocking is scheduled for September 6, 2024, at 6:04 p.m. EDT, with the capsule expected to land in White Sands Space Harbor, New Mexico, six hours later. This mission is crucial as it marks Starliner’s return following its first-ever crewed mission, which launched on June 5.

The Initial Crewed Mission

As highlighted in a report, the Starliner capsule initially carried NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore to the ISS on its maiden crewed flight. The mission, dubbed Crew Flight Test (CFT), was supposed to last approximately ten days. However, issues arose during the flight, including helium leaks and the failure of five out of 28 reaction control system thrusters. Due to these complications, NASA and Boeing decided to extend the mission’s duration to thoroughly investigate the thruster malfunctions and ensure the capsule’s safety for its return journey.

NASA’s Decision for an Uncrewed Return

After an in-depth analysis, NASA decided that it was too risky to bring the astronauts back on the Starliner. Over the past weekend, the agency announced that Williams and Wilmore would instead return to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule in February next year. NASA’s decision was informed by the potential risks posed by the thruster issue, making an uncrewed return the safer option.

The Starliner capsule will perform a fully autonomous return, monitored by flight controllers at Starliner Mission Control in Houston and Boeing Mission Control Center in Florida.

Flight Readiness and Return Process

Today’s update came after a flight readiness review conducted jointly by NASA and Boeing. The review concluded that the Starliner is prepared for its autonomous journey back to Earth. During the descent, the spacecraft will be remotely controlled if necessary to execute safe undocking, re-entry, and parachute-assisted landing in the southwestern United States.

This will be Starliner’s third return to Earth, following two previous uncrewed test flights in December 2019 and May 2022.

Conclusion

While this mission has faced its share of challenges, the upcoming uncrewed return of the Starliner capsule will be closely watched as an important milestone in Boeing’s efforts to develop a reliable crewed spaceflight vehicle. The successful recovery of the capsule will pave the way for future missions and further collaboration between NASA and Boeing in advancing human space exploration.