Space Emergency: Boeing’s Troubled Spacecraft Abandons ISS Mission, Returns to Earth Unmanned
Boeing Starliner Space Capsule Returns to Earth Uncrewed
The American Boeing “Starliner” space capsule, which failed to complete a crewed test flight due to a gas defect after reaching the International Space Station (ISS), returned without astronauts about three months after being launched from Earth.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Starliner undocked from the ISS at 7:04 a.m. on the 7th, US time, and landed at White Sands Space Harbor in the New Mexico desert, US, six hours later.
After entering the atmosphere, the Starliner deployed two auxiliary parachutes and three main parachutes to slow its descent, then inflated its landing airbags and managed to make a soft landing.
The Starliner will be transported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for inspection.
The Starliner left Earth carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunni Williams for its first crewed test flight on June 5, but after docking with the ISS several defects with the craft were confirmed, including a helium leak and a failure of the maneuvering thruster, and the return schedule to Earth was postponed.
NASA finally decided on the ‘unmanned return’ of the Starliner to ensure the safety of the astronauts, and decided to use the “Dragon” space capsule of SpaceX, a space company led by Elon Musk, for the return of the astronauts.
Key Points:
- Boeing Starliner space capsule returns to Earth uncrewed
- Failed to complete crewed test flight due to gas defect
- Undocked from ISS and landed at White Sands Space Harbor
- Will be transported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for inspection
Related Topics:
- Space Exploration
- Boeing Starliner
- NASA
- SpaceX