Watch LIVE: Will Boeing Starliner land safely or explode? 6-hour return journey begins

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is set to return to Earth without its intended passengers, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who will remain aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The spacecraft, now operating autonomously, is scheduled to undock from the ISS at 22:04 GMT (18:04 EDT) and will land at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico at 04:03 GMT on Saturday, after a six-hour journey.

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The decision to return Starliner uncrewed follows technical issues the spacecraft experienced after its June 5 launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with Wilmore and Williams on board. The capsule suffered helium leaks and malfunctioning thrusters, raising safety concerns. After months of analysis, NASA determined that Starliner was too risky to carry the astronauts back to Earth. Instead, the crew will return in a SpaceX Crew Dragon in February 2025, extending their initial eight-day mission to eight months.

The delay in returning the astronauts comes as NASA and Boeing engineers continue to examine the technical problems that have plagued Starliner, including issues with the propulsion system. Despite Boeing’s argument that Starliner was safe for the return flight, NASA’s team remained unconvinced, citing uncertainty in the spacecraft’s modeling. This led to the decision to rely on SpaceX for the astronauts' return.

NASA has reassured that Wilmore and Williams are in good spirits and in regular contact with their families. The astronauts, who have both previously completed long-duration space missions, are adjusting well to the extended stay, following exercise programs to maintain their health in the weightless environment. NASA’s ISS manager, Dana Weigel, confirmed that a July resupply mission had delivered specific items requested by the astronauts, ensuring they have all necessary gear for the extended mission.

Starliner’s troubled flight represents a significant setback for Boeing, already dealing with financial losses and damage to its reputation following previous aviation incidents. This mission was Boeing’s first attempt at a crewed flight after years of delays and technical problems, including two prior uncrewed missions in 2019 and 2022, both of which encountered issues.

NASA remains committed to the Starliner program, with the agency emphasizing the importance of having two American companies capable of transporting astronauts to space. Boeing and SpaceX were awarded contracts in 2014 to develop commercial spaceflight capabilities, valued at $4.2 billion and $2.6 billion respectively. While SpaceX has successfully completed nine crewed flights for NASA, this was Boeing’s first crewed mission, and the company faces months of post-flight analysis before the spacecraft is deemed ready for future missions.

Despite the challenges, NASA administrator Bill Nelson expressed confidence that Starliner will fly again with a crew, reiterating the agency’s long-term support for the spacecraft. The US has been working to reduce its reliance on Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft for crewed spaceflights, a dependence that began after the space shuttle fleet was retired in 2011.