Starliner switched to autonomous mode and undocked from the space station at 6:04 pm Eastern Time (2204 GMT) today, and landed at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico after making its dangerous plunge back into the thick of Earth’s atmosphere.
After re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere, parachutes were used to slow its descent to land.
While on its way back to Earth, the Starliner capsule, the portion that would hold astronauts during routine trips home from space, jettisoned its service module.
NASA decided it was too risky to bring Williams and Wilmore back due to several technical issues with the Starliner. During its mission, the spacecraft experienced malfunctions with five of its 28 thrusters and detected leaks in the propulsion system. These problems were significant enough for NASA to postpone the astronauts’ return.
The Starliner had initially launched in June with Williams and Wilmore as its first crew. However, technical difficulties have led to the decision to keep them on the ISS until February 2025. Meanwhile, the capsule’s return marked a key moment for Boeing, which will now focus on resolving the issues identified during the mission.
Boeing will retrieve the spacecraft for further investigation to address the malfunctions and continue development.