Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft completed its Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission and landed safely at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, on Sept. 7, 2024. After more than three months in space, the unmanned capsule returned with a successful parachute-assisted landing at 12:01 p.m. EDT (0401 GMT). It marked the end of a mission that was initially scheduled to last just 10 days, but delays arose due to problems with the booster as the capsule approached the International Space Station (ISS). Although there were no astronauts on board, NASA confirmed that they would have been unharmed had they been.
Safe landing despite challenges
NASA’s Steve Stich, manager of the Commercial Crew Program, explained during a press conference that Starliner’s descent followed the planned procedure. The spacecraft performed its deorbit burn, re-entry and landing as designed. According to For Stich, even with a crew on board, the landing would have been just as safe, despite the unexpected problems during the mission. Boeing and NASA have been conducting tests at White Sands for the past three months to understand the thruster failure that delayed Starliner’s return.
Astronaut Redeployment and the Future of Starliner
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who were originally part of the mission, had to be reassigned. They were originally scheduled to return after 10 days, but will now remain on the ISS for 10 months. Wilmore and Williams will return to Earth on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon in February 2025, following the rotation of Crew-9.
The future of Starliner’s operations remains uncertain, as plans for crew transport missions to the ISS have now been postponed until at least August 2025. Mark Nappi, vice president of Boeing’s Commercial Crew Program, confirmed that data from this mission will be reviewed to decide next steps for the spacecraft.
