The first mission of Boeing astronauts ended with the Starliner capsule returning empty to the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico on Friday. The two test pilots, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, were not allowed to return and will remain aboard the space station until February next year.
The Starliner capsule suffered propulsion engine failures and a helium leak and was deemed unsafe by NASA, delaying the astronauts’ return.
Wilmore and Williams were originally scheduled to return to Earth a week after launch, in mid-June. However, technical problems with the Starliner, including a propulsion failure and a helium leak, forced NASA to delay their return. Ultimately, NASA deemed the situation too risky and decided to use SpaceX for the return flight. Boeing’s automated capsule, now containing only station equipment, completed its descent without astronauts.
During reentry, Starliner encountered additional problems with its engines, but still made a precise landing. NASA commercial crew program manager Steve Stich noted that despite the successful landing, the decision to leave the astronauts behind was the right one.
Boeing supported NASA’s decision despite the mission’s failures. Boeing’s demo crew has had a long journey filled with technical difficulties, including a failed test flight in 2019 and subsequent delays. The cost of repairing the capsule exceeded $1 billion.
SpaceX, meanwhile, remains NASA’s primary astronaut delivery partner, and the upcoming mission will be the space agency’s 10th. Wilmore and Williams will return with SpaceX on the next flight.
Boeing intends to continue working on Starliner, despite the problems that have arisen.
Cursor previously wrote that the astronaut spent 178 days in space and realized one important thing.
