NASA, Boeing Welcome Starliner Spacecraft to Earth, Close Mission

NASA and Boeing safely returned the uncrewed Starliner spacecraft following its touchdown at 10:01 p.m. MDT Sept. 6 at White Sands House Harbor in New Mexico, concluding a three-month flight check to the Worldwide House Station.

“I’m extraordinarily happy with the work our collective crew put into this whole flight check, and we’re happy to see Starliner’s protected return,” stated Ken Bowersox, affiliate administrator, House Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Regardless that it was essential to return the spacecraft uncrewed, NASA and Boeing realized an unimaginable quantity about Starliner in essentially the most excessive setting attainable. NASA seems ahead to our continued work with the Boeing crew to proceed towards certification of Starliner for crew rotation missions to the house station.”

The flight on June 5 was the primary time astronauts launched aboard the Starliner. It was the third orbital flight of the spacecraft, and its second return from the orbiting laboratory. Starliner now will ship to NASA’s Kennedy House Heart in Florida for inspection and processing.

NASA’s Industrial Crew Program requires a spacecraft to fly a crewed check flight to show the system is prepared for normal flights to and from the orbiting laboratory. Following Starliner’s return, the company will assessment all mission-related knowledge.

“We’re excited to have Starliner residence safely. This was an essential check flight for NASA in setting us up for future missions on the Starliner system,” stated Steve Stich, supervisor of NASA’s Industrial Crew Program. “There was a whole lot of helpful studying that may allow our long-term success. I wish to commend the complete crew for his or her arduous work and dedication over the previous three months.”

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launched on June 5 aboard Starliner for the company’s Boeing Crewed Flight Take a look at from Cape Canaveral House Drive Station in Florida. On June 6, as Starliner approached the house station, NASA and Boeing recognized helium leaks and skilled points with the spacecraft’s response management thrusters. Following weeks of in-space and floor testing, technical interchange conferences, and company evaluations, NASA made the choice to prioritize security and return Starliner with out its crew. Wilmore and Williams will proceed their work aboard station as a part of the Expedition 71/72 crew, returning in February 2025 with the company’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission.

The crew flight check is a part of NASA’s Industrial Crew Program. The aim of NASA’s Industrial Crew Program is protected, dependable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the Worldwide House Station and low Earth orbit. This already is offering further analysis time and has elevated the chance for discovery aboard humanity’s microgravity testbed, together with serving to NASA put together for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.

Study extra about NASA’s Industrial Crew program at:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

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Joshua Finch / Jimi Russell
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
[email protected] / [email protected]

Leah Cheshier
Johnson House Heart, Houston
281-483-5111
[email protected]

Steve Siceloff / Danielle Sempsrott / Stephanie Plucinsky
Kennedy House Heart, Florida
321-867-2468
[email protected] / [email protected] / [email protected]