Boeings Starliner spacecraft made a successful uncrewed landing in the New Mexico desert late Friday, concluding a three-month test mission marred by technical issues. These problems forced the astronauts who initially flew aboard Starliner to the International Space Station (ISS) to stay in space until early next year.Mission overviewNASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who were the first crew to fly on Starliner in June, remain on the ISS. The spacecraft autonomously undocked from the ISS at 6:04 p.m. ET (2204 GMT) on Friday, initiating a six-hour journey back to Earth. The maneuvering thrusters used for this process had been deemed too risky for a crew by NASA last month.Safe landing and re-entryAccording to the official sources, the spacecraft reentered Earths atmosphere around 11 pm ET at speeds of approximately 17,000 miles (27,400 km) per hour. A live NASA stream showed a smooth descent, with Starliner deploying parachutes to slow its fall and inflating airbags just before landing at White Sands Space Harbor, an arid region in New Mexico.The uncrewed @BoeingSpace #Starliner spacecraft landed at New Mexicos White Sands Space Harbor at 12:01am ET on Saturday Sept. 7. pic.twitter.com/qi0kWhiSHj— NASAs Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) September 7, 2024Although the mission was intended to be a final test before NASAs certification of Starliner for routine flights, recent safety concerns have complicated the certification process. Despite a successful return, the spacecrafts future remains uncertain.Extended ISS mission for astronautsWilmore and Williams, equipped with additional supplies, will stay on the ISS until February 2025, when they are expected to return to Earth aboard a SpaceX vehicle. What was initially an eight-day test mission has now extended to eight months.The ISS currently hosts seven other astronauts who arrived on various spacecraft, including a Russian Soyuz capsule. Wilmore and Williams are anticipated to continue their scientific work with their international colleagues.Technical difficulties and investigationsDuring their June approach to the ISS, five of Starliners 28 maneuvering thrusters failed, and the propulsion system experienced helium leaks. Despite successfully docking on June 6, these issues triggered an extensive investigation costing Boeing $125 million, with total cost overruns on the Starliner program surpassing $1.6 billion since 2016.Starliners challenges have been ongoing since its failed 2019 test flight. A re-test in 2022 was more successful, though some thruster malfunctions persisted.Future prospectsThe troubles faced by Starliner reflect broader challenges for Boeing in the competitive space sector, now dominated by SpaceXs cost-effective launch services. Boeing will retrieve the Starliner capsule and continue investigating the thruster failures. The service module, which housed the thrusters, burned up upon reentry, meaning Boeing will rely on simulations to diagnose the issues.
