NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are readying the faulty Boeing Starliner for its return from the International Space Station to Earth today. The two astronauts have closed the hatch of the spacecraft. It is set to undock from ISS at 3.30 am IST on Saturday and will land in New Mexico about six hours later.
As per the official NASA blog post, “NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have finished packing Starliner with cargo and configuring its cabin for return. The duo closed Starliner’s hatch for the final time Thursday afternoon, readying the spacecraft for its uncrewed departure.” The return journey will take place in autonomous mode.
How to watch the Boeing Starliner return to Earth live
To watch the livestream of the departure of Starliner from ISS, you will need to tune in to NASA+, the NASA app, official YouTube channel and the official website of NASA. You can also tap on the embedded link below.
Ed Van Cise, NASA Flight Director wrote on X, “My team and I worked with Butch and Suni to finalize the config of the return cargo in Calypso this morning. This afternoon they will do a final check of the cabin and close the hatches between it and #Space_Station. Still on track for undocking and landing tomorrow evening.”
While the astronauts are staying in space, the crew members have explored the effect of microgravity on the heart and breathing, space botany, fire safety, and Earth observations. It added, “Scientists on the ground analyse the research data for unique insights on improving human health on and off the planet as well as promoting Earth and space industries”.
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will come back to Earth in February next year in a new spacecraft by SpaceX. This is because the original Boeing Starliner had witnessed several thruster failures and helium leaks, making it risky for the astronauts to return to the space capsule. Notably, Sunita Williams is of Indian and Slovenian descent and was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1998. Her first trip to the Space Station was in 2006, and among her belongings were samosas, the Bhagavad Gita and an idol of Lord Ganesha.