Boeing's Starliner Spacecraft Returns to Earth Without Astronauts

After months of safety issues, Boeing's new astronaut capsule left the International Space Station (International Space Station/ISS) on Friday (6/9) without its crew and returned to Earth. Two United States Aeronautics and Space Administration test pilots (National Aeronautics and Space Administration/NASA) will remain at the space station until next year, when the Starliner capsule lifts off 265 miles (420 kilometers) above China. Spring-loaded springs will gently nudge the craft away from the orbiting laboratory. The return flight is expected to take six hours, with a nighttime landing in the New Mexico desert. “He's on his way home,” astronaut Suni Williams radioed after Starliner's descent. Williams and Butch Wilmore were scheduled to fly the Starliner back to Earth in June, a week after its launch. But a thruster failure and a helium leak marred their trip to the space station. NASA ultimately decided it was too risky to return the pair to Starliner. So the fully automated capsule set off with empty seats and blue spacesuits and some old station equipment. SpaceX will bring the astronauts back in late February. Their mission, which was supposed to be just eight days, has now stretched to more than eight months. Boeing’s first astronaut …

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Boeing's Starliner Spacecraft Returns to Earth Without Astronauts

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