Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday, returned to Earth without the astronauts it initially delivered, months later than planned. Originally scheduled to depart earlier, the mission was extended due to issues with the capsule’s propulsion system. NASA test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who were expected to return on Starliner, will instead remain at the ISS until February, when they will return aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.
Starliner left the ISS at 6:04 p.m. ET and touched down at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico at 12:01 a.m. ET Saturday. The undocking process was adjusted to account for the absence of crew members, who would normally handle manual control if needed.
The spacecraft’s extended stay at the ISS, lasting approximately three months instead of the planned nine days, was due to ongoing investigations into the propulsion issues. Although Boeing assured that Starliner was safe for an emergency return, NASA decided to send the spacecraft back empty to better understand the root causes of its problems.
This delay has hindered Boeing’s progress in NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, a critical initiative aimed at having multiple companies, including Boeing and SpaceX, capable of rotating missions to the ISS. The delays and additional costs, now exceeding $1.5 billion, could jeopardize Boeing’s future participation in the program.