‘Starliner is back on Earth’: Boeing Starliner successfully lands without NASA astronaut Sunita Williams

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has safely returned to Earth after completing an uncrewed journey back from the International Space Station (ISS). The capsule touched down at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico at 9:31 a.m. IST, concluding a critical test mission for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Though initially launched with NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, the spacecraft returned without them due to safety concerns.

The Starliner mission was launched three months ago, on June 5, carrying Williams and Wilmore to the ISS for its first crewed flight. However, shortly after docking with the ISS, Boeing and NASA identified helium leaks and thruster issues that raised serious concerns about the spacecraft’s ability to safely return the astronauts to Earth. In light of these problems, NASA decided in late August to bring the Starliner back uncrewed, prioritising astronaut safety.

After weeks of troubleshooting and detailed planning, the Starliner capsule undocked from the ISS and completed its descent autonomously. NASA and Boeing closely monitored the spacecraft’s systems as it re-entered Earth’s atmosphere, performing a controlled landing at the White Sands Space Harbor.

The decision to fly Starliner back without its crew was made to minimise risk and gather additional data on the spacecraft’s performance. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson reiterated that the mission’s focus has always been on safety: “Space flight is risky even at its safest, and this test flight proved to be no exception. Returning the Starliner uncrewed allowed us to evaluate its systems without unnecessary risk.”

What’s next for Sunita Williams?

Although Starliner returned without them, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore remain aboard the ISS, continuing their work as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew. They are now scheduled to return to Earth in February 2025 aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, part of NASA’s Crew-9 mission. This adjustment was necessary after the problems with Starliner, and NASA has already made arrangements to bring them back safely.

The Starliner test flight

This mission was Boeing’s attempt to prove the Starliner’s viability as part of NASA’s plan to have multiple options for ferrying astronauts to and from the ISS. However, the thruster issues and helium leaks have been a significant setback for Boeing, adding to the challenges faced since the capsule’s uncrewed test flight in 2019, which also encountered problems.

Despite the complications, NASA remains committed to working with Boeing to develop Starliner into a reliable spacecraft. NASA’s Steve Stich, manager of the Commercial Crew Program, said, “Every test provides valuable data. We’re confident that Boeing will make the necessary improvements to ensure Starliner’s future success.”

Boeing will now review the data collected during this test flight and work on fixing the issues that arose. NASA continues to express confidence that Boeing will be able to overcome these hurdles and launch Starliner with astronauts once again.

For now, the focus is on ensuring that Williams, Wilmore, and the Crew-9 team have a smooth and safe return to Earth next year, with SpaceX stepping in to help bring NASA’s astronauts back home.