Two astronauts assisted with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft’s departure from the International Space Station, which took place over central China. The journey back to Earth marked the end of a dramatic few months for Boeing and NASA, with the test flight meant to demonstrate the spacecraft’s ability to ferry astronauts to and from low-Earth orbit. However, thruster issues caused setbacks for the program, which was already over budget and behind schedule. NASA is now working with Boeing on modifications to the thrusters.
To ensure a safe return, flight controllers modified the capsule’s undocking process, and Starliner autonomously flew away from the station before firing its engines for a “de-orbit burn” to slow down and re-enter Earth’s atmosphere. Despite the challenges, the return journey was mostly successful.
Boeing developed Starliner under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which was created to support privately built space vehicles following the retirement of NASA’s space shuttles. SpaceX, another company involved in the program, has been conducting routine flights to and from the space station since 2020 with its Crew Dragon spacecraft. The setbacks experienced by Boeing highlight the challenges and risks associated with developing spacecraft for human spaceflight.
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