The Boeing Starliner capsule separated from the International Space Station on the night of Friday to Saturday at 00:04. On Saturday at 06:01 Polish time, it landed at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico without astronauts. NASA decided that bringing a two-person crew from the ISS on board would be too risky. The capsule itself returned without a hitch, and previous engine problems did not affect the entire process.
Starliner capsule mission ends in failure
The test mission, delayed for many years, was launched in June 2024 and was scheduled to last a week. It was the first manned flight Boeing capsule. However, a partial engine failure and a helium leak thwarted those plans. NASA decided that astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams would remain on the International Space Station until February 2025 and return to Earth aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon.
The Boeing Starliner capsule will then be taken to Kennedy Space Center in Florida for inspection. NASA will analyze all the data to prepare the Starliner for future missions.
Starliner Capsule Lands on Earth. Astronauts 'Stuck' in Space
As part of the Starliner capsule test mission, astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams were supposed to spend just eight days on the ISS and then return to Earth. However, problems with the capsule occurred as the spacecraft approached the ISS. This means that the astronauts will spend a in space as long as eight months.
The Boeing Starliner mission to the ISS was to be the first successful manned test mission by flight spacecraft. American aerospace giant Boeing has been trying to join the conquest for many years space. Technical problems delayed the entire project, however, and its completion cannot be considered a success.