NASA’s Boeing Starliner capsule, also known as Calypso, successfully undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) on September 6 and landed safely at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico on September 7. The capsule, which was originally intended to carry astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore back to Earth, flew uncrewed due to safety concerns.
The Starliner’s first crewed flight was meant to demonstrate its ability to regularly transport humans to the ISS, but the mission was cut short due to technical issues. The spacecraft’s service module began leaking helium on its way to the ISS, and some of its thrusters malfunctioned. Despite efforts to troubleshoot the problems, NASA ultimately decided to have the Starliner return to Earth without a crew.
During a post-landing press conference, NASA officials praised the Starliner’s successful docking and landing, but acknowledged that the mission did not go as planned. Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, noted that while the agency was pleased with the landing, they had hoped to see the astronauts return on the Starliner.
The Starliner’s successful landing marked the end of a three-month mission that achieved 85-90% of its objectives. NASA and Boeing will now analyze the data gathered during the mission to identify areas for improvement. However, they will not be able to inspect the malfunctioning thrusters or the “doghouses” that contained the spacecraft’s propellant system, as they were discarded upon re-entry and are now at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.
According to NASA, the issues with the Starliner’s propulsion equipment were caused by unexpected heat buildup during flight, which caused container seals to loosen and leak helium. The agency is confident that these problems can be addressed, but it is unclear whether the Starliner’s next flight will carry a crew.
For now, NASA is focusing on other missions, including the upcoming SpaceX Crew-8 and Crew-9 missions. The Crew-9 mission will carry two astronauts instead of four to make room for Wilmore and Williams, who will return to Earth on a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule in February.
