The Boeing Starliner, facing various challenges, is set to depart from the International Space Station (ISS) tonight, making its return journey to Earth without a crew onboard. Due to a thruster issue discovered during its outbound journey, extensive testing over the past months has not instilled full confidence in NASA regarding the spacecraft’s safety for carrying astronauts through the demanding re-entry process. Consequently, the astronauts previously aboard will remain on the ISS while Starliner heads home.
Prior to undocking, the team in Houston’s Starliner mission control communicated with astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who are staying aboard the space station. They are slated to return to Earth via a SpaceX Crew Dragon in February of next year. “We have your backs; you can do this,” Williams reassured the flight control team. “Bring her back to Earth.”
After receiving clearance to undock, Starliner will detach from the ISS docking mechanisms while springs aboard the spacecraft will gently push it away. Once at a distance of approximately five meters, Starliner will engage its thrusters to move directly back for roughly 200 meters before positioning itself above the station.
These maneuvers will utilize the spacecraft’s forward-facing reaction control thrusters, which have been functioning properly, in contrast to the problematic rear-facing thrusters that caused issues during the test flight. The thruster activation will take approximately five minutes, allowing the spacecraft to safely distance itself from the ISS before re-entering a path to Earth.
Starliner is scheduled to land at the White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, with touchdown anticipated around 12:03 a.m. ET. The weather conditions at the landing site are favorable for the event, and viewers can watch a live feed of the landing, with coverage starting at 10:50 p.m.
