Boeing’s Starliner to return to Earth without Sunita Williams

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft will undock from the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday, September 6, and return to Earth, with its return now uncrewed due to recent technical issues. The spacecraft is set to land at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico on Saturday.

Originally intended to bring astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams back to Earth, the mission encountered problems including helium leaks and thruster malfunctions. NASA decided to proceed with an uncrewed return for safety reasons.

Wilmore and Williams, who arrived at the ISS on June 6 after launching on June 5, have prepared Starliner for its journey home. They finished packing cargo and configuring the cabin before sealing the hatch on Thursday.

The astronauts will remain on the ISS and return to Earth in February 2025 aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft as part of NASA’s Crew-9 mission. The upcoming SpaceX Crew Dragon launch later this month will carry only two astronauts instead of four to accommodate the ongoing presence of the Boeing Starliner crew.

Starliner is scheduled to autonomously undock at approximately 6:04 p.m. EDT on September 6, with a targeted landing at 12:03 am EDT on September 7, weather permitting.