New Mexico: Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft successfully returned to Earth on Saturday without its astronauts after completing a critical test mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Initially launched with NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore in June 2024, the capsule safely landed at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.
The mission, part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, was intended to demonstrate Starliner’s ability to transport astronauts. However, after docking with the ISS, helium leaks and thruster issues were detected, prompting NASA to delay the astronauts’ return. They are now scheduled to return in February 2025 aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule.
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program Manager, Steve Stich, expressed mixed emotions about the mission, noting that while the safe landing was a relief, the plan had been to bring Williams and Wilmore back on Starliner.
