Boeing's Starliner lands safely but without Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore
Boeing's Starliner spacecraft landed uncrewed in New Mexico late Friday, concluding a three-month test mission marked by technical issues that have delayed the return of NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. The astronauts, who flew to the International Space Station (ISS) in June aboard Starliner, had to remain in space after NASA deemed the spacecraft's maneuvering thrusters too risky for crewed return.
Starliner autonomously undocked from the ISS at 6:04 p.m. ET on Friday, starting a six-hour journey back to Earth using maneuvering thrusters. NASA had determined the thrusters were too risky for a crew, prompting the decision to keep Wilmore and Williams on the ISS. Despite these concerns, Starliner returned to Earth smoothly, as shown in a NASA live stream, successfully completing the critical final phase of its mission.
The spacecraft reentered Earth's atmosphere at around 11 p.m. ET, traveling at speeds of approximately 17,000 miles (27,400 km) per hour. About 45 minutes later, it deployed a series of parachutes to slow its descent and inflated airbags just before landing at the White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.
Originally intended as a final test before NASA certifies Starliner for regular missions, the mission's goal was thrown into uncertainty by NASA's decision to keep astronauts off the capsule due to safety concerns. Despite Boeing's successful return of the spacecraft, its path to certification remains unclear.
Wilmore and Williams, who have additional food and supplies, will
