NASA’s Starliner spacecraft departs from International Space Station – while leaving astronauts behind
Boeing has launched the troubled Starliner capsule from the International Space Station, stranding the two astronauts.
The capsule of the controversial passenger plane took off from the ISS on Friday evening with empty seats and will land about six hours later at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
Two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, were originally scheduled to launch a week after their June launch on the Starliner, but problems with the capsule’s thrusters have delayed their return until at least February 2025.
Boeing claims the Starliner is safe for astronauts, but NASA deemed faulty thrusters and helium leaks too dangerous, so Elon Musk’s SpaceX was called in to bring the astronauts home.
Boeing has launched its troubled Starliner capsule from the International Space Station, leaving the two astronauts stranded
The capsule, which was seen live on NASA video on Friday evening, suffered from problems with its thrusters and helium leaks
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were originally scheduled to fly aboard the Starliner, but problems with the capsule’s thrusters have delayed their return until at least February 2025.
As the Starliner prepared to return to Earth, Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager, said the agency was “excited” about the return.
But the incident was a fresh setback for Boeing, after the company’s passenger jet has come under scrutiny for a series of aircraft failures and problems, including a cabin door that broke mid-flight at 16,000 feet in January.
Although Wilmore and Williams were originally only supposed to stay in space for a week, they will now remain in the ISS lab for at least the next five months.
On Thursday, the stranded duo finally closed the hatches between the Starliner and the ISS as they prepared for the departure of the shuttle from which they had launched.
They are now considered full-time crew members of the space station, along with the seven others aboard. They help with experiments and maintenance, and they are increasingly exercising to keep their bones and muscles strong during the long exposure to weightlessness.