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Boeing's Starliner crew capsule experienced a sixth thruster issue and a temporary guidance system malfunction during its return from the International Space Station (ISS) to the New Mexico Desert on Saturday. The capsule is scheduled for launch next August, with uncertainties remaining about whether it will be crewed.
A week after Boeing declared the spacecraft safe to deliver two astronauts to Earth, Starliner landed at the White Sands Missile Range at 12:01.45 EDT on Saturday. This landing concluded a mission marked by multiple malfunctions, leaving two astronauts behind on the ISS. NASA reported that despite earlier issues, the reentry and landing were executed flawlessly.
The mission began three months ago with helium leaks and thruster problems upon arrival at the ISS. Initially planned to return astronaut/test pilots Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore to Earth in mid-June, their departure was delayed due to ongoing investigations into these malfunctions. In late August, NASA deemed it too risky for them to return on Starliner. Instead, they will join two astronauts arriving on a SpaceX Crew Dragon flight later this month for a six-month rotation as ISS crew members and are expected to return in February.
