Boeing Starliner Spacecraft Completes Unmanned Flight and Returns to Earth

NASA announced that the Boeing Starliner spacecraft has successfully completed an unmanned flight and returned to Earth. However, NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Suni Williams, who were originally scheduled to take the Starliner, will remain stuck on the International Space Station and will not return to Earth until next year.

According to reports, Starliner landed on time at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico at 12:01 am Eastern Time. Ken Bowersox, associate administrator of the Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, said: “I am very proud of our team’s efforts throughout the flight test, and we are pleased to see Starliner return safely. Despite having to return to the spacecraft without crew, NASA and Boeing learned a lot about Starliner in the most extreme environments.”

Flight Test and Technical Issues

Starliner was originally launched after NASA discovered a helium leak but deemed it to be within acceptable limits. Later, after NASA discovered more leaks and problems with the Starliner’s reaction control thrusters, it decided to postpone the return and change it to an unmanned mission.

The two astronauts will return in February next year aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule -9. The incident worsens the situation for Boeing, which has suffered a series of accidents recently. It remains to be seen how they can restore their reputation.

Source: NASA

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