Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft touched down in the New Mexico desert on Friday night, concluding a three-month test mission marked by technical difficulties that kept its crew members stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) until next year.
The uncrewed return of the spacecraft capped a mission that had begun with high hopes but faced significant challenges.
Starliner, which had been slated to return astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams to Earth, autonomously undocked from the ISS at 6:04 p.m. ET (2204 GMT) on Friday.
It began its six-hour journey back to Earth using manoeuvring thrusters that NASA had deemed too risky for crewed flights.
The spacecraft executed its descent flawlessly, re-entering Earth's atmosphere at a staggering 17,000 miles per hour (27,400 km/h).
NASA’s live stream showed the spacecraft's safe return as it deployed a series of parachutes and inflated airbags before touching down at the White Sands Space Harbor, an arid expanse in New Mexico, at approximately 11:45 p.m. ET.
The mission, initially planned as a final test before Starliner received NASA certification for routine crewed flights, was marred by safety concerns. Last month, NASA decided to keep the astronauts off the capsule due to issues identified with the spacecraft’s thrusters.
This decision has cast uncertainty over Starliner’s certification process despite its successful return.
Wilmore and Williams, who have been stocked with additional supplies aboard the ISS, are scheduled to return to Earth on a SpaceX vehicle in February 2025.
Their mission, which was supposed to last eight days, has now extended to eight months due to the delays caused by the technical problems.
The ISS, a large space-based laboratory orbiting approximately 250 miles (402 km) above Earth, currently hosts seven other astronauts who arrived on various spacecraft, including a Russian Soyuz capsule. Wilmore and Williams are expected to continue their scientific work with their international colleagues.
The problems with Starliner began during its approach to the ISS in June when five of its 28 manoeuvring thrusters failed. This failure was compounded by several helium leaks in the propulsion system, which is crucial for pressurising the thrusters.
Although the spacecraft managed to dock successfully on June 6, these issues triggered an extensive investigation by Boeing, supported by NASA. The investigation has cost Boeing $125 million, adding to the programme’s total cost overruns of over $1.6 billion since 2016.
Boeing’s struggles with the Starliner programme have been ongoing since its failed 2019 test mission, which did not carry a crew. A subsequent 2022 mission largely succeeded but still encountered some thruster malfunctions.
The ongoing issues with Starliner highlight the growing challenges Boeing faces in the space sector, an area it once dominated but now finds itself competing with SpaceX, which has redefined the commercial space landscape with its more cost-effective launch solutions.
Following Friday's landing, Boeing will recover the Starliner capsule and continue its investigation into the thruster failures.
The service module, which housed the problematic thrusters and provided in-space manoeuvring capabilities, detached from the capsule before re-entry and burned up upon atmospheric entry, allowing Boeing to rely on simulated tests to diagnose the underlying issues.
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