Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft safely landed in New Mexico on Friday after completing a three-month uncrewed test mission. The mission, though successful, was marred by technical issues that prevented NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams from returning on the spacecraft.
Starliner undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) at 6:04 p.m. ET and completed a six-hour trip back to Earth. Due to concerns over its maneuvering thrusters, NASA opted to keep the astronauts on the ISS. Instead of returning on Starliner, Wilmore and Williams will now return in February 2025 aboard a SpaceX vehicle.
The spacecraft reentered Earth’s atmosphere at around 11 p.m. ET, deploying parachutes and airbags before landing safely at White Sands Space Harbor. Originally meant as a final test before Starliner’s certification for regular missions, this test was hindered by technical failures, including thruster malfunctions and helium leaks during the mission’s June approach to the ISS.
These issues led to an investigation by Boeing and NASA, adding $125 million to Boeing’s costs, bringing the total overruns for the Starliner program to over $1.6 billion since 2016.
Wilmore and Williams, who had initially planned an eight-day mission, will continue their extended stay on the ISS until February 2025, conducting scientific experiments alongside international astronauts.
Boeing’s Starliner program has faced several challenges, including a failed 2019 test flight and a partially successful 2022 mission. The thruster malfunctions during this recent mission have raised questions about Boeing’s future in space exploration, especially as SpaceX continues to dominate the field with more reliable and cost-effective options.
Boeing is continuing its investigation into the thruster issues, and NASA has stressed the complexities involved in certifying spacecraft for human spaceflight.
