NASA’s Boeing Starliner crew capsule, currently docked at the International Space Station (ISS), is set to depart on Tuesday, June 25. This marks the conclusion of the Starliner’s first crewed mission, which saw NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore delivered to the ISS on June 6 after a successful launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Initially planned as a week-long stay, the mission was extended to June 22 to allow for thorough engine tests. This decision stemmed from some reaction control thrusters exhibiting problems during the spacecraft’s final approach to the ISS earlier this month. These tests, conducted over the weekend, aimed to evaluate the performance of the thrusters, and mission teams are currently reviewing the gathered data.
The Starliner’s 28 reaction control thrusters experienced malfunctions on final approach, with five failing. While four of these thrusters eventually resumed functionality, their crucial role in maintaining the crew capsule’s orientation during reentry into Earth’s atmosphere underscores their importance.
NASA’s decision to extend the Starliner’s stay at the orbital outpost by several days resulted in a new undocking target of no earlier than 10:10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, June 25. Assuming this schedule remains unchanged, Williams and Wilmore are expected to land at approximately 4:51 a.m. ET on Wednesday, June 26, at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico. This homecoming will be historic, as it will mark the first instance of an American capsule landing on land with astronauts aboard. Previous American astronaut landings have occurred on water.
This is the second rendezvous of the Starliner with the space station, although its first visit in 2022 was without any astronauts onboard.
