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Boeing Starliner is set to return home Friday, with no astronauts

In this photo, a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft aboard is seen on the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41 on May 31 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. (Courtesy of NASA)
By Julian Mark Washington Post

The Boeing Starliner space capsule that lost NASA officials’ confidence to safely bring home two astronauts will begin its return from orbit with no crew Friday and, if all goes well, parachute to a landing in New Mexico early Saturday.

But even a successful landing will be something of a hollow victory. The last leg of the groundbreaking mission would conclude a test flight that strained relations between Boeing and NASA and raised questions about when the Starliner will become fully operational.

NASA officials on Wednesday detailed their plans for the remote-control return trip for the spacecraft, which took astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore to the International Space Station in early June but was deemed unfit to bring them home because of equipment issues. The astronauts will be brought home by a SpaceX capsule instead and will remain at the station until February.

The plan is to have the Starliner undock Friday at 6:04 p.m., depending on the weather. Using thruster burns, it will be steered toward Earth to begin its descent into the atmosphere. Officials expect the uncrewed capsule will land at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico around 12:03 a.m. Saturday.

“It’s been a journey to get here, and we’re excited to have Starliner undock and return,” said Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, during a news conference.

The spacecraft’s return without Wilmore and Williams represents a stinging loss for Boeing, which had hoped the test flight would lead to regular operational missions for the spacecraft. But because the Starliner experienced thruster problems and helium leaks as it brought the pair up to the space station, NASA deemed the complete round trip with crew too risky. Now Boeing will have to continue to run tests on the Starliner on the ground before it can be fully certified for future crewed flights, NASA officials said.

“It has been a really busy and challenging summer,” said Dana Weigel, NASA’s ISS program manager.

Boeing did not answer a question Wednesday about the future of Starliner beyond its return. “Boeing continues to focus, first and foremost, on the safety of the crew and spacecraft,” the company said in a statement. “We are executing the mission as determined by NASA, and we are preparing the spacecraft for a safe and successful uncrewed return.”

The challenges are not over. The SpaceX Dragon mission that is set to bring home Wilmore and Williams is slated to launch Sept. 24. The Dragon capsule will remain at the ISS until February, then it will return to Earth with the pair of astronauts. The original Crew-9 mission was supposed to have a full contingent of four astronauts but was reduced to two to make room for Wilmore and Williams. A SpaceX capsule that arrived at the ISS in March has been configured as an emergency return vehicle for the pair, officials said.

Weigel said that she’s exchanged emails with Wilmore and Williams, and that they’re happy and on board with the plan.

“They’re ready to execute whatever mission we put in front of them,” Weigel said.