Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is making headlines as it embarks on its crucial journey back to Earth. After undocking from the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday, the spacecraft received a green light for its return mission, though it will be flying solo without its intended crew of NASA astronauts, Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who will remain aboard the ISS.
Boeing’s Starliner: A Journey Ends with a Safe Landing
On Saturday morning, Boeing confirmed that the final deorbit poll for the uncrewed Starliner was completed successfully. The landing phase, which will commence shortly after deorbit burn, is expected to take about 44 minutes. The spacecraft is set to touch down at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico around 12:00 am Eastern Time (0400 GMT), following its re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere.
The Starliner spacecraft switched to autonomous mode at 6:04 pm Eastern Time (2204 GMT) before it undocked from the ISS. Its re-entry into the atmosphere will be managed by parachutes designed to slow its descent and ensure a safe landing.
Prior to re-entry, the Starliner capsule, the section that would typically house astronauts, detached from its service module. This action came after encountering issues with thruster problems and helium leaks in the service module, which had delayed the spacecraft’s return. NASA and Boeing worked diligently to understand and address these problems, opting to keep Starliner attached to the ISS for as long as possible.
Originally, astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore were scheduled to return to Earth on the same flight as Starliner. However, on August 24, NASA decided that for safety reasons, the spacecraft would make its return uncrewed. Both astronauts are safe aboard the ISS, with a SpaceX Dragon vehicle on standby for emergencies as part of the Crew9 mission.
The successful return of this uncrewed Starliner is a pivotal moment for Boeing’s space program. Since the retirement of the US space shuttle fleet in 2011, NASA has relied on Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft for crew and cargo transport to the ISS. In 2014, NASA awarded contracts to Boeing and SpaceX to develop commercial spacecraft capable of transporting astronauts. While SpaceX has successfully completed nine crewed missions, Starliner’s flight with Williams and Wilmore marked Boeing’s first crewed flight.
As it heads home, its journey represents a significant milestone in the evolution of commercial space travel, demonstrating both the challenges and progress in achieving reliable space transport.
Stay tuned for further updates on the it’s mission and its impact on the future of space exploration.
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