NASA’s uncrewed Boeing Starliner spacecraft, ‘Calypso’, is set to return to Earth on September 6th after a successful mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The undocking process is scheduled to begin at the ISS at 3:30 PM IST (6:04 am EDT) and the landing is expected at around 9:30 AM IST (2:03 AM EDT) on September 7th.
The journey back to Earth is expected to take approximately six hours, with ground teams remotely guiding the spacecraft through necessary maneuvers for a safe undocking, re-entry, and landing at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico. The Starliner will be descending under parachutes and with inflated airbags to cushion the impact.
This mission marks a crucial step in NASA’s ongoing efforts to develop and test the Starliner for future crewed missions to the ISS. The spacecraft has previously successfully completed two uncrewed orbital flight tests, demonstrating its capabilities for a safe and reliable return to Earth.
Space enthusiasts can catch the live telecast of the Starliner’s return on Space Affairs’ YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mv5X2yghKhA.
It is important to note that NASA’s astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who were initially scheduled to return to Earth in the Starliner in February 2025, will now return in a SpaceX vehicle instead. This change was made due to issues with the Starliner’s propulsion system, which were deemed too risky for a crewed return. The capsule had experienced a series of glitches during its initial flight to the ISS.
Despite this setback, NASA remains committed to the Starliner program and is working to address the propulsion system issues. The successful return of the uncrewed Starliner is a significant step towards ensuring the spacecraft’s future reliability for human spaceflight.
