BOEING’S STARLINER RETURNS TO EARTH AFTER EXTENDED MISSION, CREW REMAINS ON ISS

Sat 07 September 2024:

NASA announced that Boeing’s uncrewed Starliner spacecraft landed at New Mexico’s White Sands Space Harbor at 0400GMT Saturday.

The spacecraft was undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) at 2204GMT Friday for its return to Earth.

The capsule was scheduled for a deorbit burn at 0317GMT Saturday, with a targeted landing at the space harbor in the southwestern US state of New Mexico.

The uncrewed @BoeingSpace #Starliner spacecraft landed at New Mexico’s White Sands Space Harbor at 12:01am ET on Saturday Sept. 7. pic.twitter.com/qi0kWhiSHj

— NASA’s Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) September 7, 2024

Boeing said drogue parachutes were utilized to reduce the speed of the Starliner and enhance drag, while three primary parachutes guided the spacecraft toward its designated landing area. Additionally, airbags were activated to soften the impact as the Starliner touched down on the desert terrain.

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NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who were originally scheduled to return on the Starliner, will remain aboard the ISS until February 2025, extending their mission from eight days to more than eight months. They are expected to return to Earth on Elon Musk’s SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.