Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has successfully returned to Earth, landing at New Mexico’s White Sands Space Harbor early Saturday after a six-hour journey from the International Space Station (ISS). The landing marks the completion of its first human spaceflight mission, although no astronauts were on board due to technical malfunctions that have delayed the return of two NASA astronauts.
The uncrewed spacecraft autonomously detached from the ISS at approximately 6:04 p.m. Eastern Time (1004 GMT) on Friday and touched down at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time (1601 GMT) on Saturday.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were originally aboard the Starliner, which launched from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on June 5 and arrived at the ISS on June 6. The duo was scheduled to spend eight days aboard the ISS but have now been there for three months due to technical complications with the spacecraft.
During Starliner’s approach to the ISS, NASA and Boeing identified helium leaks and issues with the spacecraft’s reaction control thrusters. Five of Starliner’s 28 maneuvering thrusters failed during the approach, and the propulsion system experienced several helium leaks used to pressurize the thrusters.
Given the technical malfunctions, NASA deemed it too risky to bring the astronauts back to Earth aboard the Starliner. Instead, they will return on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft in February 2025. In the meantime, Wilmore and Williams will continue conducting scientific experiments alongside their seven crewmates on the ISS, including astronauts who arrived via other spacecraft such as a Russian Soyuz capsule.
The failures with the Starliner have led to a months-long investigation by Boeing, costing the company an additional $125 million and bringing total cost overruns on the Starliner program to over $1.6 billion since 2016. Boeing’s challenges with the Starliner date back to a failed 2019 test trip to the ISS without a crew, followed by a partially successful re-do mission in 2022 where some thrusters malfunctioned.
The service module housing the faulty thrusters detached from the capsule before re-entry and burned up in Earth’s atmosphere as planned. Boeing will recover the Starliner capsule and rely on simulated tests to investigate the thruster issues.
Boeing’s ongoing struggles with the Starliner program have raised questions about the company’s future in space exploration, a field it once dominated. The rise of competitors like SpaceX, offering more cost-effective options for satellite launches and astronaut transport, has reshaped NASA’s collaborations with private companies.
The aerospace giant continues its efforts to resolve the technical issues plaguing the Starliner, aiming to restore confidence in its capabilities and reliability as a partner in space exploration.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
