Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft began its solo journey back to Earth on Friday, leaving the International Space Station (ISS) without astronauts after months of technical delays. The capsule’s unplanned empty return caps a bumpy mission for NASA’s commercial crew program. 🚀
Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who arrived at the ISS via Starliner in June, will now stay until February 2025—over eight months longer than planned. Why? Thruster glitches and helium leaks during their outbound trip raised safety concerns, prompting NASA to skip their ride home on Starliner. Instead, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon will bring them back next year. Talk about a plot twist! 🎢
Starliner’s automated departure from the ISS went smoothly, with Williams radioing, \"She’s on her way home.\" The capsule carried discarded equipment and unused blue spacesuits during its return, landing overnight in New Mexico’s desert. 🔵🏜️
The mission highlights growing pains in private spaceflight partnerships. While Boeing works to fix Starliner’s issues, NASA remains cautiously optimistic about future crewed tests. For now, all eyes are on that 2025 SpaceX pickup!
