Quick Hit:

Boeing’s uncrewed Starliner spacecraft successfully touched down early Saturday morning after a six-hour trip from the International Space Station. NASA held back two test pilots from the return, citing concerns over the spacecraft’s thruster system. The astronauts will remain aboard the station until a SpaceX mission brings them back to Earth next year.

Key Details:

• The uncrewed Starliner landed at 12:01 a.m. ET on Saturday at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, marking another milestone for the troubled spacecraft.

• Due to persistent issues with its thrusters and helium system, NASA decided to delay the return of test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. The astronauts are expected to return aboard a SpaceX capsule in February 2025.

• Starliner’s June launch encountered multiple issues, including thruster failures and helium leaks, prompting NASA’s concerns that its return with astronauts was too risky.

Diving Deeper:

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft safely returned to Earth early Saturday morning after spending three months docked at the International Space Station (ISS). NASA opted for the uncrewed return due to lingering concerns over the spacecraft’s propulsion system, leaving test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams aboard the ISS until early next year.

According to NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test blog, Starliner began its return at 6:04 p.m. ET Friday, autonomously undocking from the ISS’s Harmony module. After a six-hour journey, Starliner safely touched down at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico at 12:01 a.m. ET Saturday. The spacecraft completed its descent under three parachutes and six airbags designed to cushion its ground landing. Starliner’s heat shield also separated during reentry, exposing the airbags filled with nitrogen, which helped reduce the spacecraft’s landing speed to 4 miles per hour.

Starliner is the first American-made orbital crew capsule designed for ground landings, which makes it a reusable spacecraft, a significant advancement for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. However, this latest mission has been riddled with problems, including thruster malfunctions and helium leaks. These issues arose shortly after its June launch, prompting NASA to decide that returning the astronauts aboard Starliner was too risky.

NASA had initially planned for Wilmore and Williams to return by mid-June, but the spacecraft’s propulsion system became a concern. While Boeing assured NASA that Starliner was safe, the space agency remained cautious. NASA ultimately tasked SpaceX with bringing the astronauts home on its Crew-9 mission, scheduled for February 2025.

Despite these challenges, NASA remains committed to Starliner’s future. "We are excited to have Starliner home safely. This was an important test flight for NASA in setting us up for future missions on the Starliner system," said Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager. Boeing’s Mark Nappi echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the importance of reviewing mission data and determining the next steps for the spacecraft.