The Starliner returns to Earth safely despite the significant challenges of the mission. Boeing’s spacecraft made an unmanned return voyage to Earth. The astronaut crew was left on the International Space Station (ISS). This marked the latest development in a mission plagued by technical problems. 

The spacecraft, which had been docked at the ISS, successfully undocked late Friday, only to return without the astronauts it carried into space. 

Safety concerns prompted this uncrewed return, extending what was originally planned as an eight-day mission into an unexpected eight-month ordeal.

Starliner Returns to Earth Safely

The Starliner capsule landed safely at its designated site at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico. Boeing confirmed the landing in a statement, noting that the spacecraft touched down just after midnight Eastern time at the U.S. Army’s White Sands Missile Range.

"I want to recognize the work the Starliner teams did to ensure a successful and safe undocking, deorbit, re-entry, and landing," said Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager of Boeing's Commercial Crew Program. "We will review the data and determine the next steps for the program."

The undocking took place at 6:04 p.m. EST, and NASA streamed the event live on its website. After the successful undocking, the live commentary declared, "OK, she's on her way home." Although the capsule safely returned, it did so without the astronauts who had been aboard the mission.

NASA announced on August 24 that astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams would not be returning to Earth on Starliner. Instead, they will be returning on SpaceX's Crew-9 Dragon spacecraft. The duo is expected to remain aboard the ISS until February 2025.

NASA Astronauts Remain on the ISS

Wilmore and Williams were part of the first crewed test flight of Starliner, which launched on June 5. Originally intended to be a short, one-week mission, the astronauts were supposed to return on the same spacecraft. However, due to persistent technical issues, their mission was extended.

Starliner is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, designed to test the viability of Boeing's spacecraft for routine missions to and from the ISS.

 Before the capsule’s undocking, Wilmore and Williams prepared Starliner for its return to Earth. This included reconfiguring the seats for the uncrewed landing and packing cargo for ground crews to retrieve.

Additionally, NASA stated that the astronauts "returned standard visiting vehicle emergency hardware stowed inside Starliner back to the station for future mission operations." 

Despite the issues with the spacecraft, both NASA and Boeing officials expressed confidence in Starliner's ability to return safely.

"We have confidence in the vehicle... We've had two good landings so far, and we're expecting another one on Friday," said Steve Stich, program manager for NASA's Commercial Crew Program, during a news conference earlier in the week.

Technical Challenges and Delays

The Starliner mission has faced numerous issues that contributed to the delays. Before the launch, technical problems plagued the spacecraft, with a tentative May 6 flight test being postponed due to an oxygen valve malfunction in a rocket from United Launch Alliance (ULA), the company responsible for launching the spacecraft into orbit.

A launch scheduled for May 25 was again delayed due to the discovery of a helium leak in the service module, which houses essential systems for spacecraft operations. 

The mission finally launched on June 5, but more problems surfaced. Helium leaks and a thruster issue nearly delayed Starliner's docking with the ISS. 

After docking on June 6, NASA and Boeing reported that Starliner was experiencing five "small" helium leaks, though they assured enough helium was available for the spacecraft’s return to Earth.

As part of efforts to resolve several issues, NASA’s White Sands Test Facility conducted ground tests to evaluate the thruster’s performance under conditions similar to those experienced during the mission.