{"id":24624,"date":"2024-09-09T00:04:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-08T21:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=24624"},"modified":"2024-09-09T21:15:20","modified_gmt":"2024-09-09T18:15:20","slug":"boeing-starliner-spacecraft-returns-to-earth-without-astronauts-crew-to-return-in-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/boeing-starliner-spacecraft-returns-to-earth-without-astronauts-crew-to-return-in-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Boeing Starliner spacecraft returns to Earth without astronauts, crew to return in 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

5 minute read<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boeing\u2019s Starliner spacecraft returned to Earth \u2014 but without the two astronauts, it was meant to bring back. The spacecraft landed safely around 10:01 p.m. MDT on September 6 at its designated landing site, White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Starliner undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday and spent approximately six hours free-flying through orbit, gradually making its way toward Earth. The return was closely monitored, marking a critical point in the spacecraft\u2019s extended test mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is not exactly the trip Boeing or NASA<\/mark><\/a> had envisioned. Boeing\u2019s Starliner<\/mark><\/a> capsule returned, concluding its nearly three-month stay in <\/mark>space<\/mark><\/a>. But it flew back to Earth with an empty cabin, leaving behind two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who will now remain on the station for another five or six months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before the capsule\u2019s departure, the two astronauts who initially piloted Starliner to the ISS on June 5, bid farewell to the spacecraft. Williams, who had nicknamed the spacecraft “Calypso,” sent the capsule off with words of encouragement. \u201cIt is time to bring Calypso home,\u201d Williams said to mission control. \u201cYou have got this. We have your backs, and you\u2019ve got this. Bring her back to Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wilmore and Williams will continue their work aboard the station and are expected to return in February 2025 with the agency\u2019s SpaceX Crew-9 mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Difficulties during reentry<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By midnight on Saturday, Starliner had reached one of the riskiest stages of space missions<\/mark><\/a>, the reentry. This phase requires the spacecraft to carefully align itself as it plummets into Earth\u2019s atmosphere at orbital speeds exceeding 27,400 kilometers per hour. The extreme speed, combined with atmospheric pressure and friction, heats the spacecraft\u2019s exterior to over 1,650 degrees Celsius, a test of the vehicle\u2019s durability.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Boeing<\/a>
The crewless Boeing Starliner makes a parachute descent to touchdown in the New Mexico desert after departing the International Space Station on September 6, 2024. (Image Credit: NASA)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

During reentry, Boeing\u2019s newly redesigned parachutes deployed, further slowing the capsule\u2019s descent. As a final measure, airbags were deployed just before landing, ensuring a soft touchdown. Unlike other U.S. spacecraft, which typically splash down in the ocean, Starliner parachuted to a land-based landing site. This design feature, Boeing<\/mark><\/a> believes, will simplify recovery and refurbishment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The spacecraft\u2019s landing was completed at 12:01 a.m. ET, marking the end of its ambitious journey. Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager of Boeing\u2019s Commercial Crew Program, praised the team\u2019s efforts: \u201cI want to recognize the work the Starliner teams did to ensure a successful and safe undocking, deorbit, reentry, and landing. We will review the data and determine the next steps for the program.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Why did Starliner return to Earth without astronauts?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the return flight was successful, many questions remain regarding Starliner\u2019s future. During a news briefing following the landing, Steve Stich, NASA<\/mark><\/a>\u2019s Commercial Crew Program manager, acknowledged that the next steps for the spacecraft are still unclear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow we\u2019ve landed a capsule in the U.S. on land. The entry, in particular, has been darn near flawless, so that \u2014 I wouldn\u2019t say it surprised me \u2014 but as I step back and think about the mission, the entry itself was just, and the deorbit burn was spot on,\u201d Stich commented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#Starliner<\/a> landed today at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico at 12:01 a.m. ET on Sept. 7 (10:01 p.m. MT on Sept. 6). Teams on the ground welcomed the spacecraft and are now preparing to transport Starliner back to Florida for analysis and refurbishment.

More:\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/UEPdkuXswZ<\/a><\/p>\u2014 Boeing Space (@BoeingSpace) September 7, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>