Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
NASA announced that Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft will return to Earth without astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams onboard. This decision allows NASA and Boeing to conduct a thorough analysis of the spacecraft’s performance during its journey back to Earth.
Wilmore and Williams, who have been stationed on the International Space Station (ISS) since June 2024 as part of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test, will remain aboard the ISS until their scheduled return in February 2025. They will return to Earth using SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson emphasized that the decision to keep the astronauts on the ISS and return the Starliner uncrewed is rooted in the agency's commitment to safety. He highlighted that spaceflight remains inherently risky, even during routine operations.
The decision for an uncrewed return follows the identification of helium leaks and problems with the spacecraft’s reaction control thrusters during its approach to the ISS on June 6. These issues prompted a comprehensive review and testing by NASA and Boeing engineers.
Ken Bowersox, NASA’s associate administrator for Space Operations, praised the teams for their transparency and focus on safety. The uncrewed return will provide critical data on the spacecraft's systems, which is essential for the safety of future crewed missions.
Credit : NASA
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager, Steve Stich, emphasized that the ongoing flight test is offering valuable insights into Starliner’s performance in space. The data gathered will be used to make necessary enhancements to the spacecraft’s systems for upcoming missions.
Starliner is scheduled to depart from the ISS and make a controlled autonomous re-entry in early September. This mission will be closely monitored to ensure that all aspects of the spacecraft's performance meet the required safety standards for future crewed flights.