Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, currently docked at the International Space Station, is set to return to Earth on September 7th, marking the end of its nearly three-month mission. NASA announced on Thursday that the spacecraft will undock from the station no earlier than 6:04 p.m. EDT on September 6th and is expected to land at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico around 12:03 a.m. EDT the following day. The landing will utilize parachutes, after which the spacecraft will be transported back to Boeing’s Starliner factory at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
While the Starliner launched into space with two astronauts, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, it will return without them. The astronauts were originally scheduled to return after approximately eight days, but technical issues discovered while docking the spacecraft forced a change in plans. NASA decided to bring the astronauts back via a SpaceX vehicle in February, rather than risk further delays with the Starliner.
This return mission is anticipated to be safe and uneventful. The Starliner has previously demonstrated a successful uncrewed entry and landing during earlier flight tests. This experience gives NASA confidence in the spacecraft’s ability to return to Earth without complications.
