Boeing’s first astronaut mission came to an end with an empty capsule landing and two test pilots, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, left behind in space until next year due to safety concerns. The Starliner capsule descended on autopilot into New Mexico’s White Sands Missile Range after departing the International Space Station. The mission faced numerous challenges, including thruster failures and helium leaks, leading to NASA deciding it was too risky to bring the astronauts home on Starliner.
Despite Boeing’s insistence that Starliner was safe, NASA booked a flight with SpaceX to bring the astronauts back, which is scheduled for the end of the month. Wilmore and Williams should have returned to Earth in mid-June, but the issues with Starliner extended their mission. The capsule left with their empty seats and some old station equipment, with Williams radioing that it was on its way home. The return was successful, but there were some snags during reentry, including more thruster issues.
Boeing executives supported NASA’s decision not to have the astronauts on board for the return trip and expressed pride in how the spacecraft performed. Starliner’s crew demo was filled with delays and setbacks, leading to a bill exceeding $1 billion to address the issues. SpaceX will be launching its crew ferry flight later in the month, with two seats reserved for Wilmore and Williams for the return leg.
Wilmore and Williams, both veteran astronauts, anticipated challenges on the test flight and have been actively participating in repairs and experiments while on the space station. Starliner faced propulsion system issues even before launch, with thrusters failing after liftoff. Although Boeing conducted various thruster tests and was confident in the spacecraft’s ability to bring the astronauts home safely, NASA ultimately chose SpaceX for the return trip.
NASA remains committed to having two U.S. companies transporting astronauts to the space station, with SpaceX and Boeing scheduled to take turns launching crews. Boeing intends to push forward with Starliner despite the setbacks, but it is unclear when the next flight with astronauts will occur. The capsule will be transported back to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for further analysis, as the space agency looks ahead to the future of crew transportation to the space station.
