NASA announced today that Starliner will undock from the International Space Station September 6th and return to Earth September 7th.

Starliner launched on June 5th for what was originally planned to be an eight day mission. Since that time, Boeing, NASA and Aerojet Rocketdyne have been assessing issues with Starliner’s service module thrusters and working towards a decision whether to return with or without Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, the two NASA astronauts who launched aboard the spacecraft.

The decision was made last week to return Starliner uncrewed and today’s announcement sets the stage for the end of Boeing’s part of the Starliner Crewed Flight Test. Williams and Wilmore remain aboard ISS, and will join Crew-9’s roster when it arrives at Station in late September. That mission will be flown using a SpaceX Crew Dragon.

NASA and Boeing concluded a detailed Delta-Flight Test Readiness Review on Thursday, polling “go” to process with undocking of the uncrewed Starliner spacecraft no earlier than 6:04 p.m. EDT of Friday, Sept. 6, from the International Space Station, pending weather and operational readiness.

After undocking, Starliner will take about six hours to reach the landing zone at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico. The spacecraft will touch down about 12:03 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7, descending under parachutes and with inflated airbags to cushion the impact. Recovery teams at the landing will safe and prepare the spacecraft for a return to Boeing’s Starliner factory at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

NASA, August 29, 2024