Boeing's Starliner spacecraft is scheduled to fly home on Sept. 6 — more than 12 weeks from the initial return date and without the crew that originally accompanied it.
In a statement, NASA said Starliner will undock from the International Space Station around 6 p.m. ET "pending weather and operational readiness." The troubled spacecraft is expected to touch down shortly after midnight on a landing zone in New Mexico before it returns to Boeing’s Starliner factory at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The Starliner will leave behind astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams, who flew abroad Starliner back in June. The pair is slated to return in a capsule built by a competing company, Space X, in February.
The empty spacecraft is expected to make the journey home autonomously, according to NASA. The agency said Starliner proved it can undock and land safely without a crew during two previous orbital flight tests. It added that flight controllers at Starliner Mission Control in Houston and Boeing Mission Control Center in Florida will also be monitoring Starliner's flight next week.
"Teams on the ground are able to remotely command the spacecraft if needed through the necessary maneuvers for a safe undocking, re-entry, and parachute-assisted landing in the southwest United States," NASA said.
After long delays, Boeing's Starliner blasted off into space on June 5 for what was supposed to be an eight-day mission at the space station. The launch itself was successful but soon after, troubles appeared.
According to NASA, Starliner experienced multiple helium leaks and five of its “Reaction Control System” thrusters shut down unexpectedly. Over the next several weeks, engineers ran tests to determine if Williams and Wilmore could return safely to Earth. Last week, NASA announced SpaceX will bring the astronauts home — in a stunning blow to the Boeing Starliner program.
SpaceX has been known for providing successful taxi services to and from the station for several years. Williams and Wilmore will join a SpaceX crew, whose capsule is scheduled to head to the ISS next month and return in February.
In order to accommodate Williams and Willmore, NASA said its astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson will not be joining the upcoming SpaceX mission on Sept. 24 while NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov are still scheduled to fly.
Last week, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said the decision was made in the name of safety, noting that past mistakes had resulted in the loss of two space shuttles and their crews.
“Our core value is safety and it is our North Star,” Nelson said.
In a statement, a Boeing spokesperson said the company "continues to focus, first and foremost, on the safety of the crew and spacecraft. We are executing the mission as determined by NASA, and we are preparing the spacecraft for a safe and successful uncrewed return."
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