Starliner spacecraft successfully returned to Earth without crew

The Starliner spacecraft without a crew safely landed in New Mexico in the United States after 3 months of testing on the ISS, NASA reported on September 7, UNN writes.

NASA and Boeing have safely returned the crewless Starliner spacecraft, which landed at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, USA, at 22:01 on September 6 local time, completing three months of flight testing on the International Space Station

LIVE: @BoeingSpace's uncrewed #Starliner spacecraft is leaving orbit and touching down at New Mexico's White Sands Space Harbor. Landing is now targeted for 12:01am ET (0401 UTC) on Sept. 7. https://t.co/jlCEKXRhkx

— NASA (@NASA) September 7, 2024

"I am extremely proud of the work our collective team has done during all of these flight tests, and we are delighted to see the safe return of Starliner. Despite the fact that it was necessary to return the spacecraft without a crew, NASA and Boeing learned an incredible amount about Starliner under the most extreme conditions. NASA looks forward to continuing to work with the Boeing team to continue to certify the Starliner for crew rotation missions on the Space Station," said Ken Bowersox, assistant administrator of the Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC.

The June 5 flight was the first with astronauts aboard the Starliner. It was actually the spacecraft's third orbital flight and its second return from the orbiting laboratory. The Starliner will now be sent to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for inspection and processing, NASA said in .

After the return of the Starliner, the agency will review all mission-related data, as indicated.

"We are delighted that Starliner has returned home safely. This was an important test flight for NASA that prepared us for future missions in the Starliner system," said Steve Stich, NASA Commercial Crew Program Manager. - "A lot of valuable knowledge was gained that will ensure our long-term success. I want to recognize the entire team for their hard work and dedication over the past three months.

Addendum

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched on June 5 aboard a Starliner for a Boeing test flight with the agency's crew from the Space Force Station at Cape Canaveral in Florida. On June 6, as the Starliner approached the space station, NASA and Boeing discovered a helium leak and encountered problems with the spacecraft's response control engines. After weeks of space and ground tests, technical meetings to share best practices, and agency inspections, NASA decided to prioritize safety and return the Starliner without a crew. Wilmore and Williams will continue their work aboard the station as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew, returning in February 2025 on a SpaceX Crew-9 mission.