Boeing’s Starliner Set to Return Uncrewed from International Space Station

After spending 12 weeks docked at the International Space Station (ISS), Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is scheduled to return to Earth on September 6, albeit without its two-person crew, CNN reports.

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who traveled to the ISS aboard Starliner on June 5, will remain on board the orbiting laboratory during this return mission.

The uncrewed Starliner is set to undock from the ISS around 6 PM ET, embarking on a roughly six-hour journey home before landing in White Sands Space Harbor, New Mexico, around midnight. NASA announced the decision to proceed with an uncrewed return due to concerns over gas leaks and issues with the spacecraft’s propulsion system, leading officials to deem the Starliner unsafe for crewed flight.

“The uncrewed Starliner spacecraft will perform a fully autonomous return with flight controllers at Starliner Mission Control in Houston and the Boeing Mission Control Center in Florida,” NASA said in the fresh update.

Ground teams will have the capability to remotely command the spacecraft as needed during the critical phases of undocking, re-entry, and parachute-assisted landing.

The performance of Starliner during its return journey is critical, as it could significantly impact the future of Boeing’s overall crewed space program. Any mishap during the return could jeopardize NASA’s certification of the Starliner for human spaceflight, a key step required for the spacecraft to conduct regular missions to orbit. Such a setback would further tarnish Boeing’s reputation, which has already faced significant scrutiny.

The costs of repeating this test flight and implementing redesigns could run into the millions, adding to the some $1.5 billion in losses the company has already accrued in the Starliner program.

Even if Starliner’s uncrewed return is successful, NASA will still face a pivotal decision regarding whether to grant the spacecraft its human spaceflight certification, given that it will not have completed its mission as originally intended.

Throughout the troubleshooting process for the thruster issues and leaks, Boeing maintained confidence in the safety of the Starliner for crewed return. However, Wilmore and Williams will now return to Earth on a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, scheduled for no earlier than February. The Crew Dragon has been flying astronaut missions for about four years and has conducted approximately a dozen crewed trips to the ISS.